Events to Date

I'd like to say that my memory is pretty good.  I can say that it is decent with respect to some things...but with exact date/time events??  for those there seems to be limited brain space....
And since I know that, I've taken every opportunity to log away certain milestones on my portable brain: my phone's notepad.

Here's the list I have going thus far:
Events listed chronologically...not by importance:
Megersa's first dry diaper day - 9.29.11**
Shepper's first audible words "baba" - 10.8.11
Cale's 1st smore (firepit) experience - 10.8.11
Thaddeus sitting unaided - 10.9.11Thaddeus "scooting" himself forward on his belly - 10.9.11
T's first 2 teeth - broke through 10.11.11
Thad tucking his legs under in preparation to crawl - 10.28.11
Shepherd sitting unsupported - 10.28.11
S rolling from back to belly - 11.4.11
Shepherd cut his first tooth - 11.7.11
Thad learned to wave - 11.18.11
Thad learned to clap - 11.19.11
T going from 'all fours' to sitting - 11.20.11
Thad army crawling! - 11.21.11
Thad crawling - 11.24.11
Shepherd's bottle stand off* (for 12 hrs straight) - 11.28.11
Thaddeus pulling to stand - 11.29.11
Megersa's 1st dry diaper night - 12.1.11**
Of course I love all my children equally...the big guys just aren't really in the "accomplishment" phase anymore. ;) 
*note: this was not to be celebrated...it made Mommy very nervous...it just needs to be recorded for future reference.
**a work-in-progress

driving the bus

When I was pregnant with the twins I bought a triple stroller.
It. is. a. beast.
We don't drive it around too much because the twins are still kinda small for it...but when I want to take all the guys out for a walk...I pack them in the bus and we take it out for a spin.

IN THE FRONT:

THE MIDDLE:

 BACK SEAT:

Cale loves to ride along side of us on his trike:

 

Very excited to see how it works for us when we travel to Florida for vacation...

I double dog dare you....

Go ahead...look long and hard at these pics and just try NOT to laugh:

So.......did you laugh??

warning: may be the longest post ever.

Many, many, MANY people ask me this question:
"How do you do it?"  ((referring to my life - with 4 boys ages 4 and under...)

Well....................here's how:
Wake up too early to a Shepherd squirming and making noise. Get a bottle for him. Go back to sleep.  Wake up to him happily talking and playing with his feet.
Sit him up in his crib, turn on his mobile and give him a few toys and his binky to play with.  Try and squeeze in a few more minutes of shut eye.  Ultimately decide he's probably hungry.
Go downstairs to see Tim half-asleep and Cale in the kitchen eating breakfast. 
Change and feed Shepherd. 
Get Thad up, diapered and fed.
Put Megersa on the potty. 
Get the new (hand-me-down) walker out of the car and put T in it.  Watch him squeal with delight as he rolls around.  Instruct Cale to be gentle.  Wipe Megersa (decide he's going diaper-free today), dress and feed him.
Say goodbye to Daddy as he leaves for work.   
Clean up Megersa and let him loose.
Ask Cale to go and dress himself.
Slice myself a peice of pumkin bread. Slice a peice for Megersa and Cale who need to have one too.
Make 2 bottles. Feed, burp and swap.  
Have big boys help me with laundry.
Change babies out of jammies and into clothes. 
Tell M & C if they can remain calm and quiet while I put the babies in bed we can make cookies.
Let Cale play a PBS game on the computer.
Put Megersa in time-out for ripping a book.
Put Shepherd down for a nap.
Grant Cale's request to start up a Christmas movie when Megersa gets out of time-out. 
Feed Thad the rest of his bottle, smell something questionable. Check and change his diaper. Look in his crib...see there's no sheet.  Put one on. Turn on his mobile, lay him down and leave.  Say a quick prayer that he will stop yelling and fall asleep.  God answers.
See that Megersa is not watching the movie, but has crawled in the baby walker. Help him out and onto the potty. "Pee and poop?"  No, just pee, Megersa.  Wait him out. 
Start cookies with Cale. 
Have a conversation with Megersa (still on the potty) about the Veggie Tales movie he sees in a magazine.
Realize we're out of vanilla.  Cookie making stops.
"No, we can't run to the store right now...because the babies are sleeping."
Praise Megersa for peeing! 
Allow the boys to help with lunch menu.  Encourage Megersa to continue to eat. 
Tell Cale he needs to sit on the potty...now.  Remind him what the word "consequence" mean. 
Keep instructing M to eat. Have him clean up his space. Put him back on the potty to poop. 
Hear Thad on the monitor.  Text Tim that you're "feelin" Chipotle tonight.
Tell Cale he can stay with you during quiet time if he helps you clean.  Give him the windex bottle and a paper towel.
Check on Shepherd.
Bring Thad downstairs and sit him where he can watch Cale clean. 
Boil eggs.
Lay bacon on a cookie sheet and put in the oven (both for tomorrow's dinner).
Wipe Megersa, help him brush his teeth.  Take him upstairs.  See that Thad is crying when you leave.  Go back downstairs and take him up with you. 
Tell Cale he's doing a great job.
Notice Tim took your "change the sheets day" seriously.... Decide that now's the time to get the new (hand-me-down) crib mattress from the garage and swap it out for current ripped one. 
Since you're down near the washer, throw in a new load. 
Stop at the kitchen to flip the bacon. 
Explain to Cale the reason for the new mattress.  Struggle to pull the old mattress from the wired sides it's embedded in.  Put new mattress in and instruct the boys to be careful while they use the old one as a slide.  Tell them not to yell because Shepherd is still asleep. 
Put Megersa in bed. 
Grab a cranky Thad, and leave with Cale.
Assure Cale that M is only sad because we're leaving and he's tired, but he'll be okay.
Check on Shepherd again. 
Feed Thad lunch. 
Explain the concept of baby food to Cale....again.  Yes, it's real food, just mushed.  "Uh huh, real corn."  Have him taste it to believe you.
Give Thad toys to play with hoping he'll entertain himself while you open a lunch of yogurt. 
Caution Cale the oven is hot.  Yes, it's cooking something.  Open it show him.  Realize you've burnt the bacon.
Explain to Cale you didn't mean to do it.  Allow him to crack the window to let some of the smell out.
Put Thad on floor and let him army crawl.  Video tape him taking 4-5 real crawling strides.
Crumble bacon. 
Peel eggs. 
Sip on diet coke.
Agree with Cale that T is still "super cranky" and make up a bottle for him.  Give him a bottle while yelling out the letters to help Cale finish his cards for Grammie, Uncle Chet, and Jolyn (our Thanksgiving visitors).  Put on baby Einstein for a still crabby Thad. 
Get a stinky Shepherd from his crib.  Change him.  Feed him.  "Yes, corn again...real corn." 
Have Cale hang out with Shep while I take care of Thad (ultimately deciding he needed another nap). 
Feed S a bottle.
Play with him and Cale. 
Check email and FB. 
Tell Cale he needs to go downstairs for quiet time.  Correct his whiny behavior and remind him he got to stay up with me for a long time!  Tell him to turn on his music and when the CD is over he can come back up.
Call Daddy. 
Give Shep the rest of his bottle.  Put him in his crib after he falls asleep. 
See that it's after 4pm but decide you need to  lay on the couch for a few minutes. 
Ask Cale to turn on M's light so he wakes up and to play quietly while Mommy "rests her eyes."  Wake up about 30 minutes later to a crying Shepherd, a happy Thad, talking Megersa, and a Cale playing his dinosaur game. 
Let Megersa out and instruct him to sit on the potty and poop. 
Grab both babies and take them downstairs. 
Put Thad in the walker and hold Shepherd while you get baby food.
Consider dinner for the big guys. 
DADDY ARRIVES EARLIER THAN EXPECTED with Chipotle!  Wahoo!
Decide on raisin oatmeal for the boys (and chips from Chipotle) for dinner. 
Daddy feeds babies.
Grown ups eat dinner.
Give Cale a haircut.
Take two boys a-peice and start bathtime.  
Wash up Shepherd and Cale. Dry Shepherd and cut his nails.
Tell Daddy to send in Megersa after he's done so his nails can be clipped.  Razz him as he grabs the clippers from me.
Tell Cale he has 10 more minutes in the tub.
Take Shep downstairs and put him on the floor. 
Turn on a recorded show in hopes of watching a little of it while feeding Thad and Shep a bottle.
Call up to Tim to see if he was okay...(his first time for nail cutting).
Tell Megersa he can read a book if he doesn't rip the pages.
Sweep up the cut hair. 
Clean up dinner. 
Divide and conquer:  Take Thad up to bed while Daddy takes the boys down.  Put him in bed awake and hope the fight isn't long tonight. 
Grab Shep from Tim and give him the rest of his bottle.  Put him in bed. 
Come downstairs and check the clock: 8:15pm.  Hi-five Tim for an early bedtime.

Now I ask: Did you really wanna know? :)

............Maybe next time someone asks I'll just say "Diet Coke."

Almost forgot...

With all the fun that surrounds our 7 year anniversary...it seems as though we may have, but we certainly could not forget that our twins are now 9 months old!!

And here they are in all their adorableness:

lets celebrate 7!!

It's true....tomorrow is our anniversary. 

Tim and I will have been married for 7 years! 
It's really exciting! 7 years and 4 kids later.... :)
After finding out that I was able to line up a sitter, I started thinking of what we could do on our date.  Of course we both love our quick dinner and movie time, but with an anniversary to celebrate, I figured it should be something memorable (especially since we aren't the gift-giving types.)  I wanted to do something different.
But...I was drawing a blank.

See, I can be a creative person when the wim hits me...and I enjoy doing things out-of-the-ordinary.  Seems as though memories are always taking us back to the unique days of our lives.

I tossed around ideas in my head, hoping something would touch the creative part of my brain and wake it up...

7 years of marriage...we could do 7 things to celebrate.....but what?

A word that had 7 letters that related to our lives?  The only one that I could think of that fit was romance.

Yes, that is a good word...but it doesn't really describe us. 

Don't get me wrong...we enjoy each other...but our favorite memories quite honestly don't have much to do with romance.  Plus, a romantic night spells dressing up, a fancy dinner, roses.........

Tim dislikes dressing up.

We both prefer cheese fries to Italian cuisine.

I find purchased flowers a waste of money (give me something like chocolate I can eat!).

So, scratch that.....


7.
Seven.
Seven things.
Celebrating 7 years.
2004-2011.
I started thinking of each year individually.  I wrote them out.
LIGHTBULB!
We would do 7 things together that reminded us of our 7 years of marriage.
Now we were cooking.  I wrote out the years...easily putting things like "son was born...son came home" etc.  Those 3 years were easy to figure out what was most memorable.
Now for the others.  How to remember our years..................


Year 1  (Nov 2004 - Nov 2005)   We lived in Cedarville, made 13K, I got in an accident.
The accident thing won't be fun to relive or recreate.  Not sure our babysitters would like if we drove to Cedarville.  BUT, we can find something to buy that costs $13....reminiscent of the amount we made our first year of marriage.


Year 2  (Nov 2005 - Nov 2006)   Big move to Illinois....becoming "adults"
Yes, adulthood comes when one turns 21.  But even at 21, Tim and I had little responsibility.  We lived in the married student apartments on Cedarville Campus (paid $320/month in rent)...stayed up super late (we're talking 1-2am) and slept in (at least I usually slept til 11am).  Ate dinner in the living room watching Firefly together, and did laundry for free at his parents house.  When Tim took the job as a Youth and Music Pastor at Faith Baptist in IL...our lives reaaaally changed.  We were apart most of the day - I was in Beauty School 8+ hrs, and he worked full time (often weekend days too) - all year round.  Our rent jumped $500 and we needed to make new friends and become responsible.  Not that it was all bad, but it was a bit of a culture shock.  I think to "celebrate" that year, we can either do something only adults can do....or do something that reminds us specifically of IL. 


Year 3 (Nov 2006 - Nov 2007)   Pregnancy and birth of Cale. 
I asked Cale: What is something fun Mommy and Daddy can do on our anniversary?"  "I dont know...maybe watch a movie."  Easy enough. :)  Tim will be happy with that.


Year 4 (Nov 2007 - Nov 2008)   Fun family vacation. 
Tim and I LOVED our vacation to the Wisconsin Dells.   Friends of ours offered their "cabin" for free. We were thinking it was an actual cabin, but it turned out to be a motor home with an addition tacked on.  Not what we expected, but it was perfect for the 3 of us.  It was such a laid back trip...just spending 4 days of quality time...doing a few fun activites per day.  One of my favorite things is spending time around a fire pit.  We gathered wood during the day, then after we put Cale in bed, we both went out and spent time talking around the fire, reminiscing and eating smores.  Lovely. :)  So...I guess we'll have to relive the year by doing something relaxing or just downright fun....preferably free.


Year 5 (Nov 2008 - Nov 2009)   Somewhat rash decision making. ;)
Okay, this is the year we purchased our house.  We were tired of moving around.  From Cedarville apts to the Wheaton Center to Lorraine apts to Wiant to Boxwood.  Here we stopped at Boxwood Lane.   We purchased a house that we probably should have.  We loved the place, but we didn't quiiiiiiite have the budget for it.  We just held our breath and jumped in the deep end of being homeowners.  We never did sell that house....  Since then, however, God has opened our eyes to the fact that we both tend to be excited decision-makers...AND that a little hesitance and a lot of prayer on even the little matters can go a long way.  Because we are celebrating each year, I think Tim will get on board with us purchasing something on an impulse.  Perhaps something we both have "had our eyes on," but put on the back burner.  Catch is...we both need to 100% agree.


Year 6 (Nov 2009 - Nov 2010)   Referral and Homecoming of Megersa.
I asked Megersa the same thing I asked Cale.  Megersa thinks that Daddy and I should wrestle...or color. 
Well, we will choose one of those...  But that's all I'll say about that. ;)


Year 7 (Nov 2010 - Nov 2011)   Pregnancy and birth of Thaddeus & Shepherd.
Clearly they are too young to help us choose an activity.  But there is so much uniqueness about having twins.  Most obvious first - there are 2 of them.  I initially thought it'd be easiest to do or buy two of the same things...but that seems too selfish.  And when I look back at their first few months of life, I honestly remember so much giving.  Giving from others TO us.  Many wonderful people rose to the occasion to give of their time and energy to help us get through those challenging adjustments.  I think, in honor of our twins Tim and I can find some way to bless another family.



And that about sums it up.  7 years of memories.  7 years of deep, true, love.
And looking forward to many, many, many, MANY more!!

((Also, I promise to try and post pictures of our super awesome date. :))

convo with Cale

After helping me peel carrots I asked Cale to clean up the peelings that fell on the floor.
Cale: Well, I can't clean them up.
Me: I know you can.
Cale: How? 
Me: Pick them up with your fingers...get some spray and use this paper towel...or sweep them up - it's your choice.
Cale: Well, I dont think I can do it.
Me: If I can do it, you can do it.
Cale: Well, I need more paper towels.
Me: We're not going to waste paper towels. I gave you one already.  Rinse it out and use it again.
Cale: Why?  How much do paper towels cost?  $100?
Me: (sarcastically) Yes.  Do you have that kind of money?
Cale: Yes.  I have alot of money....in my piggy bank.
Me:  If you have so much money, you should give some to me and Daddy.
Cale: Well.........I'll give you the money after you make me cookies.  Okay?

((by the way, don't you LOVE his new haircut?!  WE DO!!))

3 turkeys, 2 hams

Thanksgiving is tomorrow.  I've been wondering which main dish I should serve up....

I've got this lil butterball, weighing in just under 20 lbs: 

 Or this one...also just on the cusp of a 20lb-der.

Looks kinda slim for a turkey...let's call him a ham. :)

No doubt about it...definitely a ham.

...They're all kinda cute.  Maybe we'll keep 'em....
I suppose we should just go with Terrance:

weight: 21.34 lbs.
Cost: $7.47 :)

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

What to do when Daddy is away:

We call for backup.
...Back in November, Tim left for his 2nd over-nighter that occurred within a 2 month span. 
When he shyly brought up the subject, I was less-than-excited. 
Most days (even the long ones) are filled with generally the same things:
Feedings, diapers, potty time, playing, cleanup, naps...more feeding. 
We've got a routine - Its not always easy, or fun, or without timeouts, but...It works. ;) 
Even still...I know all 5 of us look forward to Daddy's arrival. 
Mommy breaths a sigh of relief and everyone is happier! :)

But, so back to his night away.  I was not thrilled to do the morning routine all by myself.
The twins are capable of sleeping until 7 or after without a bottle, but it doesn't always happen. Usually it's more of a 6 am wake-up feed, then sometimes going back to sleep.  Which is fine.... But never have I tackled both wake-ups by myself. 
Ever since Thad favored a nighttime bottle and Shepherd preferred to nurse, we have taken on a man-on-man defense.  And even though both have been completely weaned, at night-time and in the early morning I feed Shep and Tim feeds Thad.  Usually once we get them bottled, we are able to at least lay lazily while the babies coo and crawl around in their cribs.
I tried to mentally prepare myself for a very early morning AND an extremely long day...but my brain refused to hop on the 'enthusiastic' train. 
One of my favorite people in Maryland (Miss Wendy) was listening to me complain about describe my 2 days alone and offered to come over to help! 
AND...she stayed the night!! 
She took Tim's roll and got up with Thaddeus for his 5am feed. 
I love her....and my kids love her. :)
And bonus: She actually is a morning person and not only tended to Thad, but got Megersa and Cale up and fed them breakfast!  I woke up at 8am to the smell of PANCAKES!  :) 
It was DE-lightful!!
She stayed in tandem with me as we busily took care of the kids...meals, potty breaks, naps, bedtime, laundry, dishes... 
She has been coming over our house to hang out with me and the kids almost every Thursday evening since April.  She is wonderful and follows my lead. 
Even still, I actually caught myself talking outloud: "okay...the plan is:" (and on more than one occasion actually).
Wendy did a wonderful job and I was so happy to have her help!
I confident she loves our family, but I'm thinking she was happy to go home to her peaceful home. :)

A Curious Kat

Some fun facts:
*My full name is Kathryn, though I never go by it (except for signing my legal name).
*I always introduce myself as Katie.
*A lot of my family (and some of my childhood friends) call me Kate...which I love.
*Even though I felt like it was the coolest nickname, only two people in my life ever called me Kat. 
*And as a young girl my dad affectionately called me Kitten.
All fun forms of my name that I can relate to. ;)

And now....this Kitty has a question.
I'd like to know:  Who are my readers?
Recently, someone who I have never "met" commented on my last post.  She said she had been following my blog for awhile but wasn't much of a poster.  Which I can relate to - I read other blogs and rarely actually write anything.  But, it got me thinking (because I thought it was super cool that I had a reader that I didn't know about!)....
Is there anyone else out there that I haven't met?

I do know some readers...my husband, a few friends from my childhood, friends from around here (who are spectacular people btw... ;)
And I happen to know some people who don't read my blog: like my mom...dad...in-laws (you know, people who barely know me....;)

But who else is interested in the stories I tell, my pictures, or the quotes from Cale...?
But who else follows the Nester life?
Would you come out from behind your screen and post a little something for me?
At least your name??
Pretty please.... :)

going under

Have you ever had surgery?
Yesterday I had my 7th one.  Definitely not my most serious one...just an outpatient procedure.
I wasn't scared...or nervous. 
But I wasn't thrilled either.  I had a small cyst above my gumline that needed to be removed. 
I chose to have a general anesthetic instead of hearing/feeling the scraping and cutting that needed to be done.
I know I chose it, but "going under" is undeniably one of the trippiest experiences....

You lay on the chair (or table, depending on what you're having done).
They put the 'gas' mask on - nitrous oxide, to be specific. 
You breathe in the air. It smells so bad and makes you feel queasy. It makes your head spin and you consider pulling it off, or holding your breath...but your body starts to go limp.  You wonder if you're still breathing because it doesn't feel like it....
You can hear what people are saying, but don't feel like you have any hold on the world around you.
As your eyes close, you see a kaleidescope of shapes in the room spinning faster and faster and you think how you wish you were home with your children.  You don't want to be here...this doesn't feel right. 
You hear voices telling you "they are going to start an IV" and to "make a fist."  Seems strange that you can accomplish this when your arms are floating around in space.... The doctor slaps your arm to pump up your veins.  You feel the prick of a needle...then it all goes dark.
Within that same minute, you hear voices calling to you from a far away place: 
"Katie can you hear me?  Open your eyes.  We're done.  Katie?  KATIE!  Open your eyes!"
You groggily do as you're instructed, but question how it could be over?  "Did it only take 5 minutes?"
"You've been under for 45 minutes....We're all done now....Open your eyes."
You question why you need your eyes open....what purpose will it accomplish?  It's so bright in the room, and you're so tired...
You are commanded again, "Open your eyes, Katie."
No.  I dont want to!
You refused to obey, and with eyes closed, you can tell someone is helping to lift your body to a standing postion, then seated again in a wheelchair.  You notice your body is being urge to stand up, then sit down again, and you're in a car. You're vagely aware of the ride home but can't tell how long you've been in the car...  You're hanging on to someone as you're helped up the steps and into your home.
You come to grips with where you are.
The fog lifts faster as you finally open your eyes and see the familiar surroundings.
You're coming out of it. The procedure is over. 
In and out of another sugery.

Then, painfully, recovery begins.

FYE, pt 1

For Your Entertainment.

Cale making Thad laugh:

Watching the boys exercise:

Down goes baby, Shepherd and all:

Come back here, brother!

bouncy baby...bouncy baby...



Shep's snarly face!! :)

bathtime!

silly string fight (or defeat- depending on how you look at it) ;)

Dream a little dream.

"I may look like Daddy...but I get my sleeping habits from Mommy."

Only Treats. :)

Halloween started early this year. 
It started off when I dug out the box of halloween costumes from the box that was (of course) buried way back in our storage unit.
Quite a selection this year, I must say.
My mom LOVES a good sale just as much as I do, so when she showed up with Halloween costumes that she purchased last Novemeber (for 90% off) we both experienced quite the rush!!
Once I got the box out I immediately began playing dress up (yep...with my BOYS). :)
Cale was totally into it....mainly because he has the memory of an elephant and insisted on knowing how many days until Trick or Treating began...but also because he loves to see me excited.
I started with Cale and Shepherd (since T and M were asleep at the time).
Shepherd the Banana with Cale the Fire Cheif:

Cale as Mr. Potato Head:

sorry buddy...Buzz Lightyear ain't gonna work for ya this year... ;)

Then Megersa woke up...
Megersa the Dinosaur (ferocious, no?) ;)

Megersa the Bumblebee:

Megersa the Monkey:

Spiderman Megersa:

And last, but not least baby T joined in on the fun.

Thaddeus the Penguin:

I knew that the twins were going to be Chickens because my mom bought them matching costumes...

But I did ask the boys which costume they preferred.  Cale chose to be the Fireman. Megersa wanted to be the Monkey (because it was the only costume that had a "hat" like Cale's did).

So, with them all dressed up together, I had to TRY to get all of them in a good shot. 

We came close - 75% (Shep doesn't dig the all boy photo shoot like the others do.)

and...that was just dress-up.

I took the boys to a Pumpkin Patch one weekend.  They had a trick-or-treating trail in the wooded area of the field.  It was a fun surprise for the boys to get a jumpstart on the sugary goodness:

((I know my boys aren't really enamored by Super Heros on a regular day-to-day basis...but I was impressed to see all my favorites passing out treats. :))

On Saturday the 29th, the Westview Promenade had Trick or Treating in their stores. 
I had planned on taking the boys even before I checked the weather because I had already missed other opportunities for fun in the area! (I am seriously working on a calendar of things-to-do around here for every holiday.)

I gotta say, it was a little bizarre to wake up in October and see snow falling outside...and lots of it.

BUT, I did promised them...so I busted out the snow suits, boots, hats, gloves and scarves...

Cale's fireman costume was big, so it fit nicely over his winter coat. 

However, Megersa's preference for the monkey costume had to change.  He went as Spiderman because it was super baggy on him and fit perfectly over his snowsuit.

((I was actually quite disappointed that I took the time and energy to bundle everyone out and tromp around in the snow just to end up with about 10 dum-dum pops a peice...but they didn't complain, so we called it a success...))

Then came the actual Halloween day!!

I had Cale help me with all sorts of chores. He's usually very helpful, but he was super willing and ready that day. ;)    He was pumped. 

About 5 o'clock friends from church surprised us by having their 4-year-old daughter ring our doorbell.  Trick or Treating in our area starts at 6pm, so Tim and I were both perplexed (and unprepared!)...but we opened the door.  

The cutest little policewoman looked up at us and said her perfectly rehearsed line: "Only Treats!"

It took us a minute to get there.... 
It sounded like "Trick or Treat" but didn't have that official Halloween ring to it..... Our minds caught on just about the same time her parents came around the corner laughing at us.  They weren't there to trick-or-treat, but to give us a gift for Pastor Appreciation Month...and to catch us off-guard.  ;)  

After they left it was a mad dash to get dinner in everyone's bellies and costumes on.

I'll admit I enjoy going trick or treating.  Maybe it's because I wasn't really allowed to go as a kid (we were taken to a few choice houses - Grandma, Nan & Pop, Sue Novak.......pretty much just relatives).  And even though I went out a few times as a young teen...there's just no comparison to experiencing the excitment through your own children's eyes.

Okay...I know you're wondering "Where's Megersa?" 
Well, unfortunately he refused to eat his dinner.  We made it a rule that they had to eat before going out. 
Honestly, I'm not a bad mom...I even made a kid-friendly dinner: cheesy noodles with chicken!
M stayed back with Daddy who passed out candy.  He was fine with that and as evidenced above, he got Halloween experience. :)

And lastly, because I forgot to wear MY costume, I put it on, dug in Cale's candy bag to find my favorites...and enjoyed listening to Jerry Seinfield's stand-up bit about Halloween. 
It's a favorite of ours, and quite hilarious. :)

Hope your day (or month) was filled with fun as well! :)

crazy, crazy eights

Double craziness. Double eights.
Two of our four children are 8 months old.
Two of our four children have been super sick.
They are two of the same.

And this crazy life...has gotten a little bit crazier.
I've been back and forth to the doctors 3 times this week.
Thaddeus currently is on an antibiotic and eyedrops for an eye infection, a suspected ear infection and a touch of pneumonia.
Shepherd is currently on an antibiotic for a double ear infection - one ruptured.
I hate having sick babies.
Sick, but still just so beautiful. 

Beautiful...and getting chunky!! 
At eight months, our two butterballs weigh 19.9 (T)...and 19.8 (S)

Watching them grow and develop really makes you realize how quickly that first year goes by.
I want to record in time some (more) special things with regards to their age:

Shepherd - He is such a special boy.  A true joy.  He is rarely frazzled by anything.  He is ELATED to wake up and see who peeks over his crib at him.  The arms go flapping and the happy squeals fill the room.  And he remains that way pretty much all day long.  Tim and I totally agree that he is/was our easiest baby.  Doesn't fuss about food or naps or getting changed.... In fact, had he not displayed the abnormal behavior of screaming so much one night (we are confident this was the night his eardrum burst) we wouldn't have really known he was sick.  When we found out how bad his ears we just couldn't believe it........ 
Honestly, we aren't bad parents, he's really is just that good of a baby.  

He sits happily anywhere we put him as long as he has something to put in his mouth. Sure, he prefers the company of others, but he's fine playing alone too. 
We hardly ever see him out of his quiet character...but it does occur once in awhile - when someone takes his chewing object away from him. 
Yesterday Tim witnessed both babies in their first "fight" - Shepherd was mindlessly chewing on a soft book when Thad came rolling (literally) over to him.  In one slinky motion he grabbed the book right out of Shepper's hands.  Shep stopped short, looked directly at T and started snarling at him. (I'm currently trying to capture a snarl on camera.) Sometimes it's a whine that transforms into a squeal that gets progressively more aggitated if the item is not returned....  Two days ago I had to grab my string cheese wrapper away from him, and he was not pleased....but fortunately at his age it's easy to distract him with something else.  Like I said, he's an easy baby. :)

Thaddeus - He is such a character.  There is NEVER a dull moment with him. T wakes up with energy level 10. (We actually could detect right away that he was sick because he was totally not himself.)  Thad is often found growling at people or obejcts...or making throaty noises as he sharpens his little teeth. His world is a happening place: He wants to be entertained, he wants to experience something new, he wants to be on the move!
Not there yet, but trying to crawl:
Arms extended? Check.
Legs tucked? Check.
Belly up? Check.
Head off the floor? Um, not so much. ;)
Soon though, because rolling around just isn't cutting it for him anymore....
((Tim and I often laugh at how we picture our sons as teens or young adults... Thad is always on the top of the athlete column.  I'll bet he's a gym rat.)) 
He's always clenched!! :)  When we found out that Shep only weighed a 1/10 of a pound less than Thad we were kinda shocked... T feels significantly heavier because his muscles are always tight.  When he's standing you can feel his lil abs.  And when he's on his tummy trying to crawl...you'd probably be able to bounce a quarter off his tush!  

Always yanking, pulling (not fun when it's your hair), pushing or BANGING!  We affectionately refer to him as "Bam-Bam." 

One day Cale came up from quiet time with a scared look on his face.... "Mommy!  I hear a loud noise.  It won't stop and it's scaring me!"  I wasn't sure what he was talking about...but I figured it was probably the washer with an uneven load. I went downstairs.  We listened.  I did hear it...but I couldn't quite tell where it was coming from?  .................I'll give you one guess.

We went upstairs to find that Thad flailing his arms up and down, just as happy as a clam because he found something new to slam on his tray.

Yep, T's banging sounds like an earthquake from a level below.... 

One more than one seperate occasion Tim or I have looked at the other and stated: "We have twins."

Obviously this is a "duh" statement.  But it's kind of a weird thing to be a parent of twins. 

It's like we're waiting for a gap in their ages that will never come...
Strange to even describe. I wonder if we're the only parents of multiples that think this.

Surely not.  We're never the only crazy ones. :)