The Pumpkin Patch

The inevitable visit to the Pumpkin Patch. Gorgeous day. Meeting with BFF Kara. Lots of flowers and pumpkins to behold. One happy baby. ....one sick baby. Poor Charlotte started running a fever when we got there and spent most of the time laying on her Grammy's shoulder. We made it a quick visit and tried to see if she wanted to sit with the pumpkins. That little face tells you the answer. She's all better now.

I really tried...

...to scrap these pictures, but it just wasn't flowin'. The girls are obsessed with "apooooos." Formerly known as "aps," apples have taken on a new life in our household. The girls wanted to try eating whole apples at Grammy's this morning, just like the little boy on their sign language video. They ate them down to the core!

Yummy and Fun.

Jen and I met at the Panera Baking Co. today for some lunch, then some shopping. We hit all KINDS of important places: Borders, JOANN, Target, etc... Target was clearancing out a lot of scrapbook stuff, so we grabbed some goodies. I love getting to see Jen and have some pallie time. We meet halfway, trucking along in our husband's car/truck, so that they can have the big cars with the baby seats. Good times.

Oh...and I got some pretty for my iPod. Neato.

I've heard a rumor....

..that Laura will be back in town soon! The girls and I missed her last summer, and I really want her to meet my 'wee lassies.' I misses ya pallie!
Here she is, pensive on the lake.

Weird.....

On some other blogs, they've been listing 5 Weird Things about themselves. So I began to think.......

(1) I often rub my feet together to help myself fall asleep. If that's not going to work, I beg my husband to rub my hands. Works every time.

(2) I use movies the way others use background music. I love to play familiar movies in the background while I clean, do homework, organize, etc... I've seen MANY movies, MANY times!

(3) I sometimes make 'vroom-vroom'-ish noises when I move from place to place. This is left over from childhood. I still tend to do it as I run up the stairs. Oh...and I have to pretty much RUN up AND down the stairs.

(4) I drink an inordinate amount of diet soda. A LOT. No. Seriously....I drink A LOT. I'm more Diet Coke than woman now.

(5) I'm quite afraid of those big agricultural sprinklers that look like giant, long insects. I've had nightmares about them.

So, how weird are YOU? Fess up! I'm tagging Jen, Amy, Megan, Carol, Donavan, Sabrina, and Angie.

Keeping it simple...

I've been playing with my Renee Pearson book and CD. Her templates are nice and simple, and my goal is to start making my own! Anyway, here's one of hers with my touch of paper and Charlotte's cute picture. I had to title it "tickled," as she is the one who just gets so genuinely tickled with the cutest things. Like her fingers! We try to snap now, too. That's fun to watch.

More frolicking outside....

..frolic, frolic, frolic.

Playin' around and a bruised melon.

We still really love our playhouse, girls! Thanks again! You may notice that Charlotte has a nice bruise on her melon. She's definitely our climber. She didn't get that climbing, though. She misjudged the corner going into our dining room...bonk! Poor thing. She had a big egg there at first, too. We're both starting to get little scratches and bruises on our legs--proof that we're growing into full-fledged toddlers and are no longer babies! *sigh*

"Heavens to Murgatroyd!"

...remember Snagglepuss? I've got my very own version at home. Rachel's got some teeth that are down just a bit further than the others, and it makes for some snaggly smiles. We love getting her on her back and tickling her, just to see it.

It's Friday, my babies love to give us kisses, and they're singing songs to us now. Well, their versions of songs. Still....life is good!

Paging the Scrap Doctor.....

I've been playing with some templates that I got from a great site and I need my partner-in-crime, Jen, to let me know if I should have used drop shadows. What do you think, Jen? I tried it with everything in drop shadows, but it seemed sort of fake. But does this look too flat?

This is actually a picture from the night of the girls' first birthday. Charlotte had just been crying, most likely over-tired from all of the fun, but she cheered right up when she saw the camera. I love that sweet face.

BFF....

Charlotte LOVES Holly. Holly is one of my parents' dogs, and it has taken her a bit to warm up to the girls. Sugar, their older dog, was a bit of a mother hen. Holly didn't really want any part of it and would often run the other way. Not too long ago, however, the girls got "the shake" offered to them, which is Holly's version of an olive branch. So they're totally in! The first thing Charlotte says when I get her out of her crib in the morning is "Hodddeee.....Hoddeeee.....woof woof!" Mom tried to get a priceless picture, but Charlotte turned her head at the last minute.

Plus, did you hear the news about these two? Moms to be, both of them! Perhaps they're consoling each other over the sleep they're going to lose later??? They'll be great. We already know that Sabrina's a great mom, and I know that Donavan will be too.

More cute pictures from Grammy's....

10 Things You Hate Doing....

...Amy tagged me this week. She's running on nine good toes this week, so go on over and give her some love!

Here goes....(in no particular order)

1. Getting a glaucoma test
2. Cleaning a my glass shower door
3. Organizing my files (digital and hard copies)
4. Being in an overly-crowded store, restaurant, or theme park.
5. Parent/teacher conferences. It's not that I dislike the parents, it's that I'm so very bad at these!
6. Folding/putting away clothes
7. I'm with Amy--putting away too-small baby clothes is a bleak, sad task!
8. Waiting in a doctor's office on the paper-covered exam table, in a paper outfit, reading a Reader's Digest from the late 80's.
9. Paying bills.
10. Squats, lunges, push-ups, or sit-ups. Evil. EVIL!!!!!

Alright ladies, and you know who you are (Carol, Angie, Megan, Jen, Sabrina, and Donavan)....pony up!

Oh, and Bruno Kiby died. Young. He was the one with the stupid, wagon wheel, Roy Rogers, garage sale coffee table! Sad. =(

In today's real estate market.....

...hand-me-downs rule! Our friends Hailee and Emily were sweet enough to hand over their playhouse to the girls, as they're getting too old to play in it. The girls got to explore it for the first time yesterday, now that the evenings are cooler. Not bad for a starter home!

Jonesin' for my Scrubs!

Someone on my twins' forum started a thread about favorite TV theme songs. Which reminded me of Ted's a capella group on Scrubs. I love that show. It's in my Top Ten of all time for sure. What stinks is that it's not due to come back until mid-season (2007), so I only have my Seasons 1-3 DVDs to keep me warm. And YouTube. It might not be everyone's humor, but it's mine. They're also nominated for an Emmy....c'mon NBC! Throw it back into the lineup. Oh, to have Scrubs, Earl, and The Office together. Bliss!

Sellin' out to The Man

And then there was one. Our friend Mike went and cut his hair. His Kevorka. The glossy locks that were grown with love...and mass quantities of Dew and Frappucinos. Apparently a Physics degree brings one a new lease on life, and a new perspective on hair. Now you're no longer a long-haired dude, Dude. You're just a dude......Dude.



***he gave it to Locks of Love. Awesome.

Whenever I know....

...that there's a big change coming up in my life, I begin to have odd dreams. The new school year is about to begin, so the dreams are here. Remember those dreams you'd have in high school where you'd show up for class naked, or forget where your locker was? These are a variation on that. Lemme give ya a 'for instance.' The other night, I had a dream that our new administrator insisted that the bathroom stalls in the ladies' room be removed. This way, we would have a 'community' bathroom. Yeah. I dream about this stuff. Soon after, I had a dream that my classroom had been moved to a portable at the very last minute. Said portable was located on a steep incline, so that my entire classroom was tilted. And the previous teacher had left all of her stuff behind. So there I was, frantically trying to remove her stuff and replace it with mine, while my students cried, "Teacher! My desk is sliding!" While I'm not exactly anxious to be without my girls during the day, I AM anxious to get back to the grownup world for a bit. Wish me a dreamless sleep tonight!

Here's a picture of my Sweet Char in her highchair. I should really take the blankie away. How's that gonna look on her first date????

Gotta love eBay..

So the girls love playing with my old Fisher Price Roly-Poly Chime Bear. Sadly, there's only one bear to go around and, as some of you may have noticed, there are two of us. Mom's solution? Ebay, baby! I was really afraid that he would be a pricey vintage toy, but toys from my birth era are not quite collectibles yet. So I was able to snag a twin for our current Roly-Poly for a mere 5 bucks! (9 w/ shipping) This is the picture straight from eBay. He's in pretty good shape. I guess I'll just stand by the door with my Febreeze Anti-Microbial at the ready....

I'm squeezing in...

...those things I can't really do when the girls are up in around. Every night after they go to bed, we tidy up, do some laundry, watch the Daily Show, then it's Choose Your Hobby! I've been choosing to surf/blog/listen to iTunes/scrapbook a lot lately. I so desperately need to get my book club book read, as well as the others I've got stacked up. I've also got a few things bunched up on TiVo that need attention. I'm also taking an online course in Photoshop Elements, which is turning out to be a good investment (only 20 bucks). I've continued to play with templates, and just had to share some fun pictures we took at my folks' house. Grandpa once again busted out the hats, and added some GV t-shirts for fun. Sacriledge!

I'm layin down....

....my OWN little Ten on Tuesday! I'm stealing an idea from the twinstuff forums--Do the iPod Shuffle! Put your iPod (or media device of your choice) on shuffle, and list the first ten songs that come up. It's kind of fun!

Here are mine:

1. Y.M.C.A--the Village People (hey...it's a workout song!)
2. One Flight Down--Nora Jones
3. Theme From Harry's Game--Clannad
4. Lubbock or Leave It --Dixie Chicks
5. Vogue--Madonna
6. DOA --Foo Fighters (love me some Foo)
7. Overture/And All That Jazz--Chicago Soundtrack
8. The Long and Winding Road --The Beatles
9. Come See About Me--The Supremes
10. Trouble--Pink

I'm tagging Jen, Amy, Donavan, Sabrina, Megan, Carol, and Angie!

The best laugh in the world...

...is my Aunt Gail's. It's infectious, and immdediately lights the room. I love that she loves to laugh. I love that she gives me a huge squeeze that almost pops my eyeballs out every time I see her. I love that she's always so excited to see her nieces. She's just the best. The best!

I really should be....

....doing my chores. Yet, while the girls are napping, I'm playing some more. I'd better go get some house business done!

32.....it's the new 31!!!

So, I turned 32 today. How did that happen? Sheesh. Yahoo! just happened to have a 'what happened on July 16 in history' link up today, so I browsed. The Catcher in the Rye was published (kinda cool). The District of Columbia became the seat of our government (obviously important). The first parking meters were installed (eh). Apollo 11 blasted off from Cape Kennedy so that they might later embark on their historic moonwalk (obviously cool). Oh.....and Sadaam Hussein was elected President of Iraq! So, yeah...I suppose we take the good with the bad. And I don't like to brag, but I was also born on the very same day as Orville Redenbacher AND Corey Feldman! Icons, people! ICONS!

More importantly, I got to spend my weekend surrounded by good friends and family and lots of yummy food! I got some really cool gifts. My camera is dead, so I'll be sure to post some pics when it's good and charged. I have some crafty friends!

Also, my Jen came to see me! She brought Becca with her, so we got to spend some time doing digi-scrapping and catching up, and the rest of the time having fun with our girls. The girls are so in love with Becca! She's older, and can spin and hop. That's HUGE in their book. They were starstruck and cried buckets when she left. I wish I could see them everyday. Jen taught me so much today, so I was inspired to make a new page with some of the elements that she taught me. Hope you guys like.

Playing with templates...

I'm just learning how to use pre-made templates in photoshop. Since I have no eye for design, perhaps this is the route I should go. This is my first attempt at using that, and it's quite a bit 'busier' than I would like it to be. But it's fun to play. Cute Char.

Bedhead....

....and a nuzzle with Daddy. This is the part where you go, "Awwwwwwww!"

Grandpa is on a mission...

First, it was the headgear, and now we're on to the old over-sized shoe bit. It's a good thing they're such big hams. Oh, and now Grandpa is "Puh-Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"


And I just think this one is cute.

Partying Like Rosckstars

...we had a Girls' Night on Saturday, and the girls got a special treat. The bedtime sanctions were lifted for a night so that they might frolic and scream with their crazy pal, Kara. They even got to nibble on some of the best cheesecake I've EVER had. Good times.

The ringleader. The hair says it all.

Toes Gone Wild!

The girls have these cute little Robeez shoes with vents, and they're so good for early walkers. Sometimes, however, our big toes just bust right out! Scandalous!

Godspeed...

Today was a landmark day. The girls watched their first ever shuttle launch. Take a moment today to not only think of those who have fought and who are still fighting for our freedom, but of those who risk their lives in the name of science and exploration. Have a happy and SAFE 4th!

Let the countdown commence!

....t-minus 4 days until our next Megan visit. You know what that means? It means new (and surely gorgeous) quilts for the girls, games, movies, The Movie/Actor Game (at which I believe I am the reigning Queen), and lots of fun. She's getting married in November to her sweetie, Seann. Or as I like to call him: He Who Makes Garlic Bread To Die For! Aren't they sweet? Also, Seann just got a job in Portland, so they'll soon be moving out of state. *Sniff*

Ripping off Amy's "Music" Post....

...Amy had such a cool post about how we relate songs to certain moments in our lives. I loved it! So, after reading it, I began to think of songs that were tied to key events in my life. There have been so many. I thought of how "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" will always remind me of the first time I came through the tunnel to see Candlestick Park. How "Pretty Fly For a White Guy" reminds me of dancing with the girls at Jen's wedding, and "Chop Suey" reminds me of my OWN wedding, where my husband taught me that, YES, you can head-bang at a wedding! "Unbelievable" will always remind me of flying down 101 (notice I didn't say THE 101, Megan?) in Megan's flying deathtrap of a car, clinging to Donavan for dear life!! Sting's "Fragile" will always be tied to 9/11 for me, as it's what Adrian and I heard in the car on the way home from Monterey, during the live telethon. Amy wrote of holding a brand-new Spence in the hospital, hearing "Home" by Coldplay. I recall the moment they sat me on the operating table to administer my spinal for a C-Section that was happening 6 weeks too early. I should have been a wreck, but I wasn't. The atmosphere in the OR was so relaxed and light, and someone had turned on a Shuffle. As I received the spinal, Alison Krauss and Union Station's "The Lucky One" came on. The song has very little to do with babies or families, but all I could think was, "I am the lucky one (as corny as that sounds). That song put me in just the right frame of mind. I can listen to it endlessly, as it will forever be tied to the moments leading up to meeting my daughters. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the song that was playing at the moment that they took the girls out was "Rock n' Roll All Night" by Kiss. So that was the first song the girls heard in their new outside world! We just had to laugh. Thanks for the memories, Amy!