hippity-hoppity Happy Easter

We had a great long holiday weekend.  We spent some time down at the beach with the Koupals, made our usual visit to the farmer's market, went on lots of walks, and ate lots of Easter candy.  Side note: I asked for Josh to put healthy things in my Easter basket this year, so he put almonds, trail mix, PLUS lots of crap.  I have been eating all the crap.

Josh's basket.

 My basket

The girls' new toy we bought them because we are too mean to let them eat junk

We had a great time at the beach with the Koupals.  However, Josie and Piper did NOT dig the beach.  We aren't sure why...the sand and the wind was a little too much for them maybe?  Or they were tired?  They sat in our laps the entire time.  However, aunt Jess got some great pics of them.

And Blue had the best day of his life playing with Clyde.

Kleigh and Alden both learned how to surf and Grey had fun being Grey

April 12th, plus more fun stuff

My birthday was a few weeks ago and I failed to write about the DELICIOUS cake Josh made me, along with the Taco dinner with homemade shells.  It was great! 

The rest of the week sort of went downhill with Josie coming down with a 105 degree fever.  A week later, we had her back in to see the doctor, this time with Bronchitis and a double ear infection.  ARGH.  I asked the doctor - a little desperately - when we might have healthy babies.  They have pretty much been sick since November.  We were warned that it would be a rough year and they were right.  The doctor thinks this might be the last gasp of winter illnesses.  I sure hope so. 

Here are some pics of some happier times in our household.  The cake - with all 34 candles

 Hipster Josie

 The girls used to let us snuggle and hold them while they drink their milk.  Now they are too big for that and want to lay down by themselves. 

A Mother's Prayer by Tina Fey

This is all over the place right now, but too perfect not to post. 

First, Lord: No tattoos. 

May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen.Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.”

-Tina Fey

Our New Ride

Josie and Piper got a new ride a couple of weeks ago.  We take a lot of walks around here and the stroller was getting old.  The wagon is fun because they can face each other and play together (or annoy each other).  Last weekend, we all went out to the farmer's market with the wagon.  The girls always get lots of attention.  One nice man gave them a couple of little American flags to wave, so we walked through the market with our flags in the wagon.

Sweet 16 Months: Things I Love

Josie and Piper are sixteen months!  We took this picture yesterday right before we headed to their friend, Ellie Kate's, first birthday party.  We had a great time - thanks for having us Larsons!

The girls are slowly starting to talk more.  Josie says more words and is more willing to learn and Piper is still content to point and grunt.  She gets her point across.  This month, I thought I would share some of the things that I love that they are doing right now:

I love...

• When they play with my hair
• To make them laugh, to listen to them make each other laugh, and when Josh makes them laugh
• When Piper points at things and says "dis!"
• When Josie "sings".  She just "learned" how to sing the other day and walks around singing her little songs 
• When they "pretend" to eat with a spoon and a cup
• Josie's recent interest cuddling
• Watching them explore outside, looking at pinecones and leaves
• When they pick up a book and turn around and reverse into our laps so we can read together
• Watching Piper's imagination develop.  She likes to sit her dolls on her chair and walk back and forth between them "talking" to them
• Listening to them play and talk before they fall asleep
• Having them show us their hair, their tummies, their ears and their nose

Story Without Pictures

Yesterday was a warm day.  The girls got up early and I put them in springy dresses without leggings or bums underneath.  They were in the playroom while I got breakfast ready.  It sounded like they were having fun, so I didn't check on bother them.  At some point, I looked over and saw a diaper had been thrown over the gate.  I squinted, "Is that really a diaper?"  I walked over to find Josie walking around with no diaper.  Then I looked a little closer and found Four Little Turds scattered throughout the playroom.

*There are no pictures with this blog post for obvious reasons