Rewards from Him

Our Personal Looney Bin

2012-01-16T14:46:00.000-08:00

Things have been crazy around here. We just had a baby, so that's to be expected right? Somehow our little family manages to take crazy to next level. Here is an example of one night last week, where all the crazy came together in perfect synchronicity to make one big wacko night!

I got Noah to bed, which usually happens around nine o'clock. It seemed like a normal night as I drifted quickly to sleep. Little did I know what my three angels had in store for me!

1:00 am-Noah gets up for his first feeding. For some unknown reason he doesn't want to go back to sleep. It takes me until 1:45 to get him to sleep
1:45 am-Drift off to sleep again.
2:45 am-I wake up to a someone staring at me.
     Sophie-"Mommy..."
     Me-"What?"
     Sophie-"I need a drink."
     Me-"Take a drink of my water and go back to bed. Shut the doors quietly please."
     I get out of bed to shut the door she left open.
3:00 am-OMYWHATISTHATSTARINGATME!?!?!?
     Sophie is perched on her toes on Matt's side of the bed, staring down at me(he was in the bathroom).
     Sophie-"Mommy...."
   Me-"Sophie go to bed."
     Sophie-"But, Mommy..."
     Me-Sigh.."What Sophie?"
     Sophie-"Why..."
     Me-"Sophie go to bed."
     Sophie-"But Mommy! The toilet won't shut flush!"
     Me-"Sophie, Mommy is very tired and I need sleep, please go back to bed, I don't care about the toilet. and shut the doors quietly on the way out."
     I get out of bed to shut the door she left open.
4:00 am-Noah wakes up to be fed. He goes back to sleep really easily.
4:30 am-Someone is staring at me again.
     Jack-"Mommy..."
     Me-"What do you need Jack?"
     Jack-"I had a bad dream."
     Me-"Give me a kiss and go to back to bed." (What I really want to say? "You did not have a bad dream,
             you aren't even a little bit scared right now! STOP WAKING ME UP!") "Shut the door quietly on
             your way out."
     I get out of the bed to shut the door he left open...what in the world is wrong with these kids that they
     can't shut a door????
5:30 am-Noah gets up for his last feeding of the night.
6:30 am-Noah wakes up for good. I ask Matt as he is getting ready for work if that was the craziest night
      ever. He asks me what I am talking about. And that my friends is the most amazing part of it all. He
      slept through ALL of it! How is that even possible?

And here is a little visual of silliness, because I don't like to post without pictures.

The Three Amigos

2012-01-16T14:28:00.000-08:00

Right before I took Noah's two month pictures I happened upon the mustaches that I had bought at the party store. I immediately ~~bribed~~ asked the kids if they wanted to try them out. They were really sticky on the back, so I just put them right on their faces. Jack gave me the most trouble because he said it tickled his nose. I only had to ~~bribe~~ ask him again, and he agreed. The following shots crack me up every single time I look at them. I love my goofy children, and that they let me take crazy pictures like this!

I showed them how to make "outlaw" faces, and this is what I got.

This one is my favorite!

Sophie loosing it because it was so goofy!

Baby with a mustache! (cracking up over here!)

He was trying to eat it off!

The best part is, I have three more mustaches to try again someday! :)

Noah @ Two Months

2012-01-16T13:32:00.000-08:00

Another month has come and gone! Wow! It went fast and slow at the same time! We are all loving having Noah here with us! He is such a happy, content little guy. He loves to smile at all of us. Just last week I also caught a couple giggles. It was three to be exact. Noah does this this thing where he starts to laugh and stops, he is just waiting for something funny so that he can have a big old belly laugh. The sleeping front is wonderful! He is starting to sleep anywhere from 4-6 hours at the start of the night. I can count on one hand the number of nights I would consider "bad" nights. That makes for one happy momma! I am loving the extra sleep, but late at night when I creep into his nursery to nurse him, I get to cuddle and be alone with him. I secretly love it. So I am 100% OK with getting up at night! Love, love, love this boy! Excited for what's to come!

Noah is pretty content most of the time, but if we do something he doesn't like, he lets out a shrill, high pitched scream. It gets our attention every time!

Noah loves to converse. He will wait until you talk to him, and then make lots of cooing noises at you. He loves those little conversations. For some reason, I always said "HI Noah" beginning the day he was born. Now he makes this little noise that sounds just like "Hi" to get our attentions. He's a genius right? ;) I took him to a meeting with me last week, and I laid him on the floor so that he could move around. I was talking to the other moms there, and not looking at him. He began yelling loudly to get my attention, and didn't stop until I looked at him. I am wondering if all of this "talking" will mean he will talk sooner than the twins did.

He can roll over from front to back on occasion. He can't do it every single time, but sometimes he figures it out, and around he goes.

He still loves the Moby wrap, and hates swings, high chairs, bouncer chairs, etc. We have tried him in the excersaucer for a few minutes with blankets tucked around, and he enjoyed looking at the toys. He likes to just lay on his back and check everything out! He also loves to be held. At least I know my arm muscles are getting a workout!

His eyes are turning blue, which, if they stay that color, will mean three blue-eyed kids. Can't believe not one of them has green/hazel eyes! We aren't really sure about hair color. Sometimes it looks like Jack's blond color, and sometimes it looks like Sophie's color. It gets brushed up in the back, and looks like it might be curly like Sophie's. Can't wait to see how that changes!

When I put him on his belly for tummy time, he pushes himself forward and kicks his feet as if trying to crawl. I can't put him in the Boppy, because he launches himself off of it onto the floor. So silly!

Love this little boy! I couldn't have asked for a better addition to our family. God gets it right every time! He sent us little Noah, and we couldn't be happier or love him more!

Noah One Month

2011-12-09T10:03:00.001-08:00

What a month it's been! I can't believe one month has gone by! The time has flown, and we are so busy as a family, that each day runs right into the next. I loved having twins, but I also love having just one baby. It has been really nice to be able to focus on him, and not feel overwhelmed all the time. It is just so different. Noah definitely has his own personality, and we are starting to see more and more of that come out. He really is a content baby, which is great, because I worried about having a colicky baby, and being overwhelmed. This time around, I am also getting sleep, which makes a world of difference! It's easy to not feel crazy when you aren't so sleep deprived! Noah is making me think that the addition of one more baby might be doable! ;)

Noah at One Month:

You love to eat! You eat anywhere from one hour to three hour increments, but you would love to eat every hour if I let you!
You sleep anywhere from 4-5 hours at the start of the night. I am hoping this gets longer! Every so often you have a crazy night where you are up every hour. I know I'm fun to be around and all, but...
You will lay in your crib without freaking out and screaming. Jack never did this! You will even put yourself to sleep sometimes!

Your nicknames are: Noah Boa, Noah Bean(s), Bean, Beans, Beanie, Fussy Pants Magee, Jack...oh wait, that only happens sometimes!

You have to be held exactly how you want, or you fuss. We go through quite the gyrations trying to get things perfect for you.
You love the Moby Wrap, and I think I saw you give a little smile one day while I was putting it on.

Your unofficial weight on our scale at home is 11.1 lbs. Seriously? You are growing like a weed!
You are wearing 0-3 months clothes with some 3-6 months thrown in. Forget newborn! You grew out of those sometime last week.

You make that silly face(above) just like Jack and Sophie. I guess it's a family thing, because other moms have told me their kids don't do that.
You are starting to smile, and it is so sweet! They are just random most of the time, but you are trying to engage us.

The above picture is the wall above Noah's crib. I have been wanting to use the cards in a room for awhile, and they fit right in in a boy's nursery.

You love Jack and Sophie. Especially Sophie who spends lots of time talking to you and playing with you. I left her upstairs with you the other day, and turned the monitor on, and she was mimicking Matt and I. It was so sweet!

You are such a happy little guy, and rarely fuss. The only times you fuss are if you get bored laying somewhere, aren't being held right, or if we put you in your bouncer chair or car seat. You hate the bouncer chair and swing!
When you are hungry, you make little sucking motions with your mouth. Then you let out little coughs, as if to say, "ahem, feed me." If I miss both of those signals, you scream a high pitched, shrill scream that's impossible to miss!

You have stolen our hearts little guy! I cant imagine life without you! I'm not rushing you, but I am excited to see just how your personality fits in with our family. We are enjoying every moment of this stage you are in, and it's still going crazy fast! I mean, weren't you just born yesterday? Look at your little face! You don't look very newborn anymore.

I love you Noah Beans!

Dear Jack at Four

2011-12-09T09:36:00.001-08:00

Dear Jack,

Our wild little boy. You are one big ball of energy. Most days you spin through our house like a tornado, and I just pray that I can keep up with you. Let me tell you, it's tough! But I've had some years of practice under my belt. Ever since you have been mobile, you've never slowed down. Trying to keep you in line is a full time job! Every so often though, you slow down enough to give me a glimpse of the sweet you, the little cuddles you will give me on the couch, and I know that underneath the blur, you are such a wonderful little boy. I want you to always remember that! God made you energetic, sweet, and fiercely loyal. I can tell, that you love those in your life tremendously. You are loyal, and you are kind. You try to make sure that everyone is included, and no one gets their feelings hurt. You are so happy and social! Your teachers tell us that you are the one who is always initiating the play. You try to get your friends to play the games and things you want to play. You are a leader. Just like your Daddy. God made you such a special little boy, and I hope you always remember those little things that make you, you. They are very special, and so are you!

At four, you love anything that involves getting your energy out. Running all around, moving and jumping, constant motion. The converse of that is the fact that you love your Duplos more than any other toy. You make ships and cars everyday. We watched as this skill progressed, and you started to make all of your ships symmetrical, carefully placing each block. Then you made bigger ships, and ships that can hold things. Your brain is always working. You love big words. I try to talk using more advanced words, and you love it. You incorporate them into your speech, and it is quite silly when you occasionally get them wrong. Your teachers tell me that you are very well behaved at school. Which is so awesome for this momma who worried you might have too much energy for school. Remember how I mentioned that you were loyal? Last week we were at a play date, and you and Sophie were running around the gym. A little boy accidentally hit her, and you were right there to protect her. You wanted to know "who did that to her." You were going to get that guy. The other moms were amazed, but I've seen you act this way before. You love her, and you are going to keep her safe. I have to add, that I didn't tell you not to react this way. It awesome as a girl to know that you have a brother there to protect you. It makes my heart happy that you two will always have each other. I hope you are always so sweet and loving. It will be a tremendous asset later in life! Your future wife will love it! ;) I am so thankful, everyday, that you are my little boy. I can't wait to see you grow up with Noah as your brother. Maybe you two can work together to not tear down the entire house! ;) So thankful that God blessed me with you as a son! <3

Dear Sophie at Four

2011-12-09T09:12:00.001-08:00

Dear Sophie,

It's so hard raising a girl. I want so much for you, and it seems of utmost importance that I pass it all along to you. I used to think I had to help you become a certain person, or help you act a certain way. It hit me quite suddenly, that God made you exactly who you should be. He made you strong, sweet, and sassy, all rolled into one. He made you such a beautiful person, inside and out. And that's it. That's what I really want you to remember. I want you to know that you ARE beautiful. And it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, that's the truth. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you want to do. I don't have to try to stop you from making the same mistakes as me, because you aren't me. But it is funny how many things are similar between us two. Maybe that's why we butt heads sometimes. Every so often, you question me, and make me realize your viewpoint is right. In the end, you will always have Jesus to guide your way. Daddy and I can tell you what we think is important, but if you always make sure to follow Him, you will never get lost.

At four, you are quite the opinionated little lady. You know exactly how your day should go. What you should wear, eat, do, you have opinions about it. Jack used to be "in charge," but lately you are the one bossing him around! As much as you fight with him, you love him. He is your playmate and best friend. You don't really like to be in a separate room from him, even when you are fighting. Your favorite toys are your art supplies. Crayons, markers, paint, coloring books, plain paper...I have trouble keeping the house stocked. You make creations everyday, and most days Daddy and I are surprised at what you make. You've drawn spiders, pumpkins, flowers, people, and a million other little things. Your teachers were surprised at how well you stay in the lines when you color. Other people are impressed that you draw things with the right color crayons. You want to hang everything on the fridge, so that everyone can see it! When I tell you that I have a "craft" for you, you get so excited!(Now here's one of those things we are so similar about! ;) ). You love to learn new things, like writing skills. You don't let me do anything for you, but instead have to do it on your own. You are still shy around new people, but love to play with friends you know. You like playing with girls better than boys, but will play with a boy if he is friends with Jack. I don't ever have to worry about you getting into trouble when we are at a playdate or school. Your teachers let me know that you are quite well behaved at school. You wait until you get home to challenge all the rules! You can be quite dramatic when you want to be. In fact, you cried for about thirty minutes last week(all the while Daddy and I talked about how we would have been spanked by this point!) about a princess wand that you wanted. After you were done with your huge fit, you looked at Daddy with your best "doe eyes" and asked him if you could have the wand. I had to leave the table I was laughing so hard! Some days, raising a girl can be the most challenging thing I have ever done. But then I look at you, really look at you, and my heart floods with love, and I know that with Jesus by our sides, everything will turn out alright. I have been so blessed by you! I always wanted a little girl, and I am thankful everyday that you are the one I was given. <3

Decking the Halls

2011-12-05T09:48:00.001-08:00

The day we brought the Christmas tree home, we decorated it right away. I took a quick nap, and when I woke up, Matt had the lights on the tree, and the train set up. He was pretty excited about that train! We bought a new train this year, which is the Lionel Strasburg Train. The Strasburg Train is the first train the kids rode on, so it is pretty sentimental! The twins love operating the train, and are learning to do it better all the time. We also got more track with the new train, so it stretches across the whole room. I'll have to post pictures later, but Matt bought felt to be snow, and set up a little town with a church and a chocolate shop, benches and lots of trees. It's going to be fun to add little things to it each year!

Jack and Sophie have been getting around three ornaments a year since they were born. Sometimes more. We give them one each, and both sets of grandparents give them one. It's fun to pick out that ornament each year, based on what really interests them. And of course, when we unwrap them each year, the twins want to know where each one came from. I have a good memory, but I started a list this year so that we could remember when they got each one, and who each one came from. It will be such treasure when they go their own way as adults, and have a whole tree full of meaningful ornaments. I just love Christmas Traditions! Both of their grandparents already gave them their ornaments this year, but Jack and Sophie will have to wait until Christmas Eve to get our ornaments! And of course this year, we have the fun of picking out Noah's first ornament. We are seriously going to need an additional tree soon!

Here are Jack and Sophie decorating our tree. They were so careful, and nothing has broken so far!

Little Noah slept through the whole thing. Matt propped him up on the couch for a picture with an ornament, and he gave us this little smile. He must be dreaming of sugar plums! Isn't he the sweetest?

The Perfect Tree

2011-12-04T15:03:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

We decided to forgo any big celebration this year, and just spend the holiday with the five us. We haven't spent a holiday like that for ages! The day turned out really great. I made a turkey breast, and all of the fixings, and we ate "Feast Food" as the twins called it. Above is our sad little family photo! It is cute nonetheless. We ate after watching the Macy's Day parade, and eating veggies and cheese and crackers, with pepperoni(of course). As soon as we started eating, Noah wanted to eat too! HA! After the meal, we hung out, and watched movies in the kids anywhere chairs by the fire. It was Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving on the computer. For dessert we had peanut butter pie which is Sophie's favorite. It was a very nice day with our little family.

The next day we went to cut down a tree. We like to get the tree up as early as possible! We went to a new farm this year, which takes you to the trees on a hayride. Sophie wasn't sure at first because the sides were open, but she quickly decided she liked it. We quickly went to the fur trees, and found a winner. Matt cut it down with a saw, and they wrapped it up for us. We took the hayride back to pay for the tree and hook it to our roof. I think we will do this again next year, because it was lots of fun!

Noah stayed nice and cozy in the Moby Wrap. We both love that thing! He gets to be all cuddled up like a little ball, and I get to have him nice and close. He snoozes most of the time, and I can use both hands. It was a great investment!

The five of us. You can see Noah's little head peeking out!

The perfect tree!

The kids played on this little train, and looked at some animals in a little petting zoo while Matt tied our tree to the roof of our car.

Mission Accomplished! We had fun, picked out a tree, and now my house smells like pine! Tis the season!

Meeting Baby Noah

2011-12-04T10:23:00.001-08:00

The day the twins finally met Noah was an exciting one! They were excited to meet this little guy for so long! They finally had their chance to meet him when we brought him home from the hospital. We had originally planned to have them come to the hospital, but they had slight colds, so we thought it would be best to wait. Thursday, after Noah was born, I was finally free from the hospital! It was a terribly rainy day, and gray, but we barely noticed it. I missed the twins terribly when I was in the hospital. I couldn't wait to get home and see their faces. I swear they grew tons in the three days I was gone. Their little faces were huge after looking at Noah's tiny face all week.

The twins could not have done better. They were gentle, and quiet, with just the right amount of curiosity thrown in. Of course as soon as Noah got home he wanted to eat. I went upstairs to nurse Noah, and my thoughts of privacy went right out the window when they busted upstairs to watch. I hadn't really discussed breast feeding with them, I just told them that Noah wouldn't drink from a bottle. Sophie was mighty curious as to why Noah was drinking "from my belly button." She is one silly girl!

After he was done eating, they got to hold him. They were the epitome of a proud brother and sister. They love him! They want to be around us all the time. They want to hold him, pet him, kiss him, and talk to him all the time. If Noah is crying, Jack gets pretty upset. He wants me to feed Noah right away. Last night, I was in the nursery putting Noah to bed, and he was fussy after I fed him. Jack was yelling out of his door, "Mommy, the baby's crying, the baby's crying." Matt had to explain I was already with the baby. Sophie has taken to calling him "Noah-bean" because she hears me say it. They really do love him, and I think that love will only grow stronger as the can interact with him more and more. They love his smiles and coos so far, and are extremely interested in what he is up to!

Welcome Baby Noah

2011-11-14T07:57:00.001-08:00

Warning! This is a birth story, although not graphic at all, if these things bother you, read no further! Skip this post and wait for the next one!

Monday the 7th, I had a routine forty week doctors appointment. I was starting to get frustrated with the whole waiting game. When was he going to come? Apparently sooner than I had anticipated! My doctor, while doing a routine check, broke my water. She looked at me and said, "Ooops!" It took me a minute to realize what had happened, and then I was confused and not happy. I knew that I only had about twelve hours to deliver Noah, and then I would need another c section. Thankfully my body was ready this time, and contractions started right away. Not so thankfully, they were two minutes apart, and a minute long my entire labor. Needless to say, at 4cm I asked for an epidural. My contractions never slowed down, and I was ready to have Noah by 10:45. I tried for three and half hours, and he was almost out, but I needed help, so the doctor helped him out. He arrived finally, and 1:42 am on November 8th. Matt got to cut the cord, and when they gave Noah to me, he immediately started rooting, and even sucked a couple of times. It was so cute the first time he sucked, because it startled him that milk came out. He gave a little jump! So sweet. Matt and I are in love with him, and as soon as we saw his little face, after months of discussing who he might look like, new that he was ours. He is such a combination of Jack and Sophie, but undeniably ours! I have to say, the whole process was awe inspiring. I prayed so much that he would arrive safely, and God was so good to us. I was able to deliver him vaginally, and Matt was able to watch his son being born. It was a very special moment, just like watching Jack and Sophie being born. There was a moment in the delivery room, where my contractions stopped for about five minutes. The doctors were concerned, but I didn't pick up on it until later. No contractions can signal a uterine rupture. He was protecting us though, and we are so thankful! Thank God for a successful VBAC, and a healthy and happy Noah. We are beyond blessed with three wonderful, healthy children!

Noah Wesley Anderson, born at 1:42 am on November 8, 2011 at 8.6 pounds.

Noah relaxing the morning of his birth. He looks just like Jack in this picture!

The proud daddy and his newest son.

Mommy and baby.

He really is the sweetest thing! So calm and content. He only cries when someone messes with him, doesn't feed him, or changes his diaper. He doesn't even get upset with the craziness around our house! HA! He breast feeds like a champ, and although he doesn't sleep for long stretches, he does sleep! I feel twenty times better this time around, because of only caring for one infant! I feel really blessed to have been able to experience twins, and a singleton. Loving this little cozy, cuddly newborn stage, and trying to suck it all in one last time!

Four Year Old Questionaire

2011-10-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

I asked the twins a series of questions to reflect on their age and personalities. I asked Sophie first, because I knew she would be excited and cooperate. :)

Here are her answers:

Can you tell you your name? S-O-P-H-I-E (she spelled it for me)

How old are you? Shows me four fingers, and decides it's five. After counting, we settle on four.

What is your favorite color? Pink and Purple!

Who is your best friend? Bekka!(No deliberation there...she has decided Bekka is the only friend she needs!)

What is your favorite animal? Butterflies

What do you want to be when you grow up? A ballerina

What is your favorite movie? Care Bears

What is your favorite book? The Barbie and ballerina books

What makes you happy? When I get presents and it's my birthday.

What makes you sad? When I don't get anything.(I really thought she was going to say when Jack is mean to her.)

What is your favorite food? strawberries and kiwis(she loves fruit!)

What is your favorite song? Funny songs

What is your favorite game? Candyland

What is your favorite toy? La-la Loopsy

What do you like to take to bed with you? Loveys and ballerina bear

What do you like to wear? Ballerina Costume and Ballerina Shirt(This girl cries unless I put her in a dress. She tells me people won't know she's pretty unless she wears a dress.)

What is your favorite thing to do at school? Make cubes.(Their teacher taught them to make cubes out of special blocks.)

What is your favorite thing about Daddy? When he plays La-la Loopsy with me.

What is your favorite thing about Mommy? When she makes me yummy food.

What is your favorite thing about Jack? When he doesn't hurt me.(ah...there it is! Not that Jack hurts her a lot!)

Next, I called Jack upstairs. He flipped his lid, and cried and complained about how it was going to take FOREVER to answer the questions, and he didn't want to do it...he's dramatic when he doesn't want to do something!

Here are his answers:

Can you tell me your name? Jack(in that fussy way he says something when he knows he's trapped.)

Can you tell me how old you are? I don't know(he always says this, even though I know he knows!) after talking he figures out it's 4.

What are your favorite colors? Blue and red.

Who is your best friend? Dax

What is your favorite animal? um...What animal is red? I like elephants because they are blue.

What do you want to be when you grow up? A scuva diver.

What is your favorite movie? Cars 2 and Star Wars(I have to add here, that he has not in fact seen Star Wars, but rather, several clips on YouTube that Matt has shown him. He knows it is a more "adult" movie, and that's why I think he gets so excited about it.)

What is your favorite book? Do I have a Cars book? (yes) Then that's it!

What makes you happy? When I get presents.(really? both of them? I need to work on what's really important in life...)

What makes you sad? When I get a time out.

What is your favorite food? pepperoni and bacon!

What is your favorite song? The Star Wars Song(a Weird Al song on our Satellite Radio) and Cars 2

What is your favorite game? The Sorry Cars 2 game I got for my birthday.

What is your favorite toy? Star Wars and Cars 2(Seriously, this kid plays with his Duplos, making "ships" every single day, all day long...so I am interjecting here, that it really is Duplos!)

What do you like to take to bed with you? Toys that don't make noise.(I think he is reciting a rule here, because I won't let them take noisy toys to bed)

What do you like to wear most? Cars 2 clothes.(He loves sweats and comfies, which his Cars outfits are.)

What is your favorite thing about school? Playing with play dough, but I never do, I forget!

What is your favorite thing about Daddy? When he builds me ships.

What is your favorite thing about Mommy? When she plays with me.

What is your favorite thing about Sophie? When she does something nice to me.

These kids are downright goofy...I hope I am able to keep asking them this every year, to see how their answers change!

Fourth Birthday

2011-10-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, we had a family birthday party for the kids. We kept it really simple and hung out, had dinner, and opened presents. We had bought an ice cream cake, but never got around to even singing "Happy Birthday." The party the day before made me more exhausted than I can say! Eight months pregnant, plus birthday party, equals a tired mommy. Thankfully, the twins just love hanging out with their family, and the undivided attention that their Grandparents and aunt and uncles give them. We worked really hard to make sure the twins didn't think their birthday was all about presents, but they were really excited for that part of the day. Truth be told, I think their grandparents like seeing them open presents! :) We didn't take a lot of pictures that day for some reason, but I liked this one of the excitement of it all. And Jack insisted on wearing his "comfies." That's what we call sweats around here.

Monday was the twins actual birthday, and Matt and I were beginning to loose a little steam by then. ;) Of course, he made them his traditional pancakes. Last year, it was Mickey and Minnie Mouse. This year they got the first letter of their names. Of course I made bacon, because Jack is addicted to it. I hear this is a pretty universal Anderson thing, although, my dad is addicted too! Who doesn't love bacon, right? In the second picture, you can see Sophie wearing her shoes. She got the most crazy pair of pink sparkled shoes ever from her Grammy, and insisted on wearing them as soon as she woke up. Also, don't mind the chairs...I was too tired to put our real kitchen chairs back!

Matt and his spatulas...he makes such a mess in the kitchen when he cooks! ;)

After breakfast, the kids went to school for a couple of hours. They got to celebrate with their class, and their teachers made it really special. They got stickers that said it was their birthday, a little apron with a green frog on it, which is their class name, and a little card with their classmate's finger prints. I made them each their own kind of cupcake. Once again, by Sunday night when I was working on these, I was exhausted. So they turned out alright, although Matt mercilessly made fun of them. ;)

Cars for Jack(sorta looks like Lightning) and butterflies for Sophie.

After school we took the twins to McDonald's, which we only do on special occasions, because Matt and I hate that place! HA! It was their choice though, and they liked the little toys they got, and playing in the playplace.

We came home, hung out for a little bit, had cake and ice cream cake, and watched a movie downstairs. The most relaxing way to spend a busy, busy weekend!

So thankful to be able to celebrate four years with the little guys. I said lots of prayers that weekend(and almost every day) that I get to be their mommy.

Movie Theater Party

2011-10-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

On October 1st, we celebrated the twin's fourth birthday with friends. We had planned to do an outdoor movie with our projector, but the weather spoiled our plans. It was rainy and ugly that day! We moved the party to the basement, and we were nice and cozy inside. The party started at 6:00, and by the time the first guests arrived, Jack and Sophie were stirred up into quite the frenzy of excitement! Here they are making sure that Daddy gets the projector right. They love to dance in front of the screen when the movie turns on. You can see that we picked "Curious George" as the movie.

These are the kid's cakes. I decided not to make the cakes this year, and could not have been happier. Jack and Sophie loved them! We managed to keep them a surprise until their party, and they were pretty excited to have their own cakes!

Jack set up his toy projector by the real projector.

Singing Happy Birthday, and checking out the cakes while we waited for a few guests to arrive.

Jack needed help blowing out his candles, so all of his friends blew together. Sophie's little smile shows just how excited she was!

Eating the cake. Matt cute HUGE pieces! HA! Those cakes are so sugary, that not much actually got eaten.

We bought movie theater candy boxes of candy, juice boxes, and we popped popcorn. We thought we went overboard on the candy, but it was good we bought extras, because some of the kids ate three(yes three!) boxes of candy. Those poor kids didn't have a chance at sitting and watching a movie! :)

Watching the movie. The girls all cuddled in a line, and it was really sweet. The boys didn't really make it through the movie, and Matt entertained them by having them chase flashlights around the wall. Boys are nuts!

We really did have a good night, and it was fun watching Jack and Sophie interact with all of their friends. They were excited to give their friends favors on the way out the door. It was a lot of work, but it felt great to make them feel so special for their special day!

Heard Around the House

2011-09-20T06:29:00.000-07:00

Here are a few funnies heard around the house lately. These kids are so goofy lately!

Jack-"You know how I know you love me Mommy? You make me bacon."

And the next day when he had the leftover five pieces of bacon, which wasn't enough, "Gimme your phone so I can call Daddy and tell him you won't make me more bacon!"

Sophie-"Last night I dreamed we were having a girl baby, and I was sooo happy."

Jack-After being asked who he played with at school, "I played with my best friend! He's so much fun, we played cars together, and I really like him! But I don't remember his name."

We have really been trying to teach the twins gratitude, and that they should be grateful for the things that they have, and not always asking for more. They were asking us if they were going to get toys at their birthday party, and we told them that what was important was that their friends would be here to share the day with them. Sophie's response? "So then we WON'T get toys?"

The twins think the best part of the new van is that it has the songs they like. We have satellite radio, and they adore the kids station. They think it's exclusive to the van.

Jack and Sophie have been spending tons of time in the nursery playing with the baby's things. Here they are checking out the playmat, and making sure it lives up to our standards. Hard to believe their whole bodies fit on this long ago!

We were doing a craft last week with these little hearts, and they got stuck all over the house. Sophie stuck them on her Grammy, Grandpa, and Daddy where there hearts are. Then she gave me a heart right on my belly. She doesn't know it yet, but she loves her little brother!

First Day of Preschool

2011-09-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, the 7th was the twin's first day of preschool. We had prepped them all summer for what school would be like, so they were quite excited when it was finally time to go. Jack was however anxious on the day of, so Matt "worked his magic" to help Jack feel more comfortable. Jack kept saying that his loveys would miss him, and that they told him he shouldn't go. Matt set up a little school for the loveys so that they could go to school also. Jack bought it, hook, line and sinker! ;) The first day was one of the craziest rainy days ever here, so Matt took the kids on the front porch, while he wore his rain coat, to snap some pictures. Sophie is wearing an outfit that her daddy bought her at J.Crew, which is his favorite place to shop. She was pretty excited it had a ballerina and sparkles on it. Also, it had to be a skirt or dress, because how else would people know she was a girl? (Come on Mom, pants aren't going to cut it!) Here is little miss independent herself, who is almost impossible to a picture of her face looking at the camera! I have to say, that to my complete surprise, Sophie was not apprehensive at all. She was just excited. She really is very independent, and takes everything in stride.

Jack nixed the first outfit we picked out for him, and apparently complained to his teachers so much about his top button that they had to undo it. He was most excited to play on the playground, which he didn't get a chance to do, because of all of the crazy rain!

Here is a quick picture I snapped of the kids in circle time. Their class is the Green Frogs, so they got to cuddle little frogs on their mats. That is one of their teachers Mrs. Cuomo in the background. She is so gentle and kind, I love her already! After this, we snuck out the back, and waited for them to finish. They stayed for just an hour the first day, and were excited to tell us all about it afterward. They played with a couple of toys, and sang songs. Sophie of course colored a picture of Dora with apples, because she can't pass up art ever! Jack kept saying that the "Goodbye Song" was "If Your Happy and You Know It," and it turns out he was right!

This picture is crazy, but it illustrates how hard it is to get a picture of them. Sophie always looks at Jack to see if he is looking at the camera, then when she sees he is, she looks at the camera, but by this time, he is looking away. And then it continues on and on. So these are the wacky shots we get...crazy kids! ;) Jack wanted a chocolate chip cookie, and Sophie wanted a cinnamon roll, but when we got to the table they split it.

Yesterday was their first long day of preschool, which is 9:00 to 11:30. They did really well at drop off, and although it was a little crazy with Sophie needing to use the restroom, no one cried. This time they got to play on the playground, and they loved it. They want to know why our playground doesn't have monkey bars! They also sang the "Green Speckled Frogs" Song, which I know, so I was able to sing with them at home. Lastly, they read "The Kissing Hand," and made hand print pictures. I have to admit, I was a little bored without them, but that is only going to last for the next couple of months! I think school is going to be really good for them. Especially when their little brother comes. They are so ready to learn, explore and be social. The next two years of preschool are going to teach them such great things.

Summer of Fun 2011

2011-09-04T04:57:00.000-07:00

I always seem to forget about blogging over the long summer. We have had such a great summer though, that I didn't want to skip it altogether. I am squeezing this little summary in before school starts next week. It's image heavy, but that's what you get when you squish a whole summer into a few pictures!

Sophie got to see Disney Princesses on Ice in the late spring with her friend Bekka. Bekka invited Sophie and I to come watch with her and her mom. The girls were too cute, and hardly said two words to each other, but they shared their snacks, and lots of smiles throughout the show. We saw Bekka at Monkey Joe's on Wednesday, and the girls were inseparable!

This picture is from Soccer Shots, which the twins did all winter, and into the spring. In the summer, we signed them up for Kiddie Kickers, which was quite the experience. Coach Dennis is Irish, and full of energy. Some might say crazy. He has the kids running all over the indoor field for the entire hour. The twins were the youngest kids there, which was a little intimidating to them, but as time went on, they got more comfortable.

We had lots of park playdates this summer! Jack and Sophie like the sand box the best, but also love to climb and slide.

We saw "Cars 2" twice this summer. Once in the movie theater, and once at the drive in. Even though we sat far away at the drive in, it was a hit. I made popcorn, and brought drinks, and we enjoyed the warmth in our pj's! The kids stayed up through the whole movie, which started at nine, and ended at 10:30. Eeep!

Lots of playing in the back yard, and getting muddy. My kids LOVE dirt. Although I hate to clean it up, I love that they get dirty. They have just a couple of years in their lives where they can cover themselves in dirt or grass.

We had lots of playdates around Hershey and Harrisburg. This picture is from Hershey Gardens. It was hot that day! Jack and Sophie did not want to sit still for my picture! ;) Sophie adored the butterfly house, and they fact that she could be so close to butterflies.

Jack, Sophie and I did the Meelard Shuffle at my high school again this year. I walked the 5K, and then the kids ran a 100m. Jack was practicing running circles around our house the morning before the race, and he was ready. He ran the whole distance, and came in first! Sophie also ran super, duper fast, and was the first girl! They are starting to get competitive!
We found a new place to hang out this summer, that is close to our house. The Splash Park! It's a little park with a playground, and then an area where water turns on everyday at 11:00. There are lots of sprinklers that the kids can run through and get cooled off. Water may be the best part of summer!
Matt traveled to D.C. at the end of July for a weekend of soccer! He got to see Manchester United vs. Barcelona. What could be better? He went down for two days with a friend, and was able to watch the practice sessions on Friday night, before the game on Saturday. He was in soccer heaven.We stayed at a lake house for a week with the Perini family, and enjoyed the outdoors. Jack loved having Matt row him in the boat all week. We also enjoyed feeding a family of ducks, playing in the sand, playing in the pool, and just being together. Aunt Laurie and Uncle Josh came, which is always fun! We miss them in England like crazy! Congrats to them on their engagement. Sophie is already planning her part in the wedding! ;)
We hiked Boulder Field at Hickory Run State Park, which is literally a huge field covered in boulders. It was rainy, but the kids loved climbing as long as they had a little help. Not the most flattering picture of me and my big belly. ;)

Lots of pool time. We got the twins floaties, which help them in the water. We went camping for the weekend with the Anderson Clan, including The Fredrick Andersons. The kids loved having Rachel there to play with! We spent most of the day Saturday in a pool with a huge splash park. Jack was really brave, and ran through every sprinkler! He loved it. They also loved the playground an amphitheater at the site.

We took a trip to Kneobels. Sophie was finally tall enough to ride the roller coaster. She rode with Matt, and Jack rode with Uncle Josh. Needless to say, Sophie did not like it! Jack on the other hand, wanted to go again. Matt said it was a little scary too! ;) The park is almost always calm, and it is nice that the twins can get on any ride almost immediately. It makes for such a fun day! All in all, it was a wonderful summer! We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly! I am especially looking forward to fall now, which is unequivocally the best season! :)

31 Weeks

2011-09-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

What's that? I didn't announce we were pregnant before? Surprise! :) I guess I should tell you it's a boy, and his name is...oh wait, I'm not sharing that! ;) We do have a name picked out though, and if you ask the twins they will spill the beans. They are terrible at surprises!

We found out we were pregnant in February, and my pregnancy matches the dates of my first pregnancy. We are due November 6th, and with the twins, it was November 3rd. The picture below is from our first ultrasound at nine weeks. We worried there were twins again, and then admitted to each other that we secretly wanted more twins, just in time to find out there was one little bean. As time has gone on, I am so thankful there is "only" one! It is just right!

We waited until our nineteen week ultrasound to tell the twins. We also debated long and hard as to whether to find out the gender. In the end, we wanted to know for lots of reasons. One of them being that we didn't want crying kids in the hospital because the baby wasn't the "right" gender. Sophie is quite upset with me(as if I had any control over it) that the baby isn't a girl, and that she doesn't get to have a sister. Some of the common things I hear are, "Bekka gets to have a sister," "It might still be a girl!" or my favorite, "Well, you have to have more babies Mommy." Jack is always there to comfort her and let her know it's a "boy baby."

Here he is, from the side, all curled up on himself. The head is at the left, the heart in the middle, the spine on the right, and his legs are folded over his body. He was in a really complicated position for the poor ultrasound tech! I had to do jumping jacks to get him to move!

This is his face from the front. My mom calls it his "alien face." We can't wait to find out who that face might look like! We also can't wait to find out what color hair and eyes he has, and if he looks like any of us!

Who would have thought this pregnancy would be harder than my twins pregnancy, but it really is! I kept telling people that something happened when the twins were around 3 1/2, that changed their attitude. I finally put two and two together, and figured out is was me. I was really nauseous in the first trimester, and very tired. I'm getting to the point where I am tired again, but it also doesn't help that I have one child waking me up at night to go to the bathroom, while the other child appears at 6:30 to tell me to get up. Matt has also been crazy busy, so I have been manning the fort a lot, and it is exhausting!

Everything looked good at our ultrasound, and his heartbeats have been good at every appointment. I passed my gestational diabetes test(YUCK!) and got my RH shot. We are just waiting, and trying to get everything prepared for his arrival. I've had several friends give birth to little boys this summer, and I have to say I am getting antsy to meet the little guy!

Recent Videos

2011-01-31T08:50:00.000-08:00

Blogger changed the videos around for me, so I didn't have to do any work! YAY! So here are a couple of recent videos from my phone. The quality isn't great, but I think the cute kids make up for it! ;) Also, ignore my loud annoying voice in the background...I am like two inches from the camera, so it makes me sound like I am shouting. As if I didn't have a loud voice already...

Here is Sophie acting like a penguin. I think she was walking funny because her feet hurt in her sparkly shoes, so Matt told her she looked like a penguin. That is what she is explaining to me in her videos.

Jack counting from 1-10. This is big for him, because he doesn't like to sit still and do things like count for me. So I work it, and count things all the time, to "trick" him into learning it. Aren't I sneaky! ;)

Sophie singing her ABC's. For a long time, Jack and Sophie would scream at me when I sang the ABC Song. So I promised them a lollipop if they could sing it all the way through. Sophie started singing, "A, B, C, X, Y, Z" and calling it a day. She surprised me by singing it all the way through the other day. Of course, she does it her own way, and some of the letters are wrong, but at least she sang it!

When the kids eat goldfish, I play a game with them, where I sing this song that goes, "And they swam, and they swam all over the damn." I'm not sure of the whole song, although I have seen it on YouTube, but it is a fragment of my preschool days. Here are the kids doing it Matt, and they just love when he is silly!

Now that I know how easy it is to download videos, I can do it more often. I'm not even sure anyone is "out there" though, so I'll just keep doing it for my amusement! ;)

Iphone Photos

2011-01-31T08:05:00.000-08:00

I was trying to upload some recent videos of the kids, but they are all oriented wrong, and I'm not sure that everyone wants to strain their neck by turning their heads to the side! ;) Instead I am posting some photos from my phone. These are all quick shots on the go, when I think to pull my iPhone out!

Sophie at Panera with a cinnamon roll the size of her head! She loves sweet things!

Jack looking goofy in his soccer outfit. He is always making silly faces!

Jack's new haircut. He sat in the chair all by himself this time! This one was taking just a few days after the last one. Doesn't his haircut make him look older?

A little snowman craft we did last week. Sophie named hers, "Sophie," and Jack named his "Jack," but later changed it to "Lightning."

Painting a mug for Daddy at Color-me-Mine before Christmas.

This was from the summer, but is one of my favorite pictures of Sophie. She actually smiled for the camera, which never happens!

Sophie cuddling up on our ottoman. There is just enough room for her!

Jack's blue lollipop face. This one is also from the summer.

Just a few random everyday shots! I'm going to work on figuring out how to turn the videos around...and I'm going to make sure I don't hold the phone that way anymore! HA!

Time to Make the Donuts!

2011-01-18T12:57:00.000-08:00

Last week we went to a friend's house for a donut decorating party. It was lots of sugary fun! The kids started out with plain donuts, and then they put pink and chocolate frosting, and rainbow and chocolate sprinkles on them. They even had cute little Dunkin Donuts hats! It was so nice we were at Jen and Andrew's house, and that I didn't have to clean up after that sugar fueled mess! HA!

I love that Sophie loves the icing more than the actual donut/cake/cupcake. Usually she eats the icing off, and leaves the "bread" part. Just like me! :) Later, when I was enjoying a pink donut, she came upstairs and ate all the sprinkles and frosting off. She's lucky I love her so much, because Matt can attest to the fact that I don't like to share food!

PA Farm Show

2011-01-18T07:37:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday we went to the Farm Show, and met a friend. We did a ton of walking, and got to see tons of neat things. Cows, sheep, pigs, ducks, chickens, a clown(which I tried to pretend wasn't there), a big butter sculpture, and an indoor play area. We had a hot dog, chicken nuggets, fries and a yummy milkshake for lunch. I'm not much of a farm show girl, but the kids did have fun!
Here is Sophie in the "bird" room. If you have never smelled chickens and ducks, well then consider yourself lucky! They stink! This is what Sophie thought of the smell. Look at her little face! She was SO mad at me for subjecting her to this! HA! Oh, and look at her feet! She insisted on wearing her princess sparkly shoes! Silly girl! They were terrible for walking in all day!

Jack looking at the pigeons while Sophie continues to plug her nose!

Pigs! Right next to this calm pig was a mother feeding her piglets. It was totally crazy! They were squealing at each other, and pushing each other out of the way. I wish that the twins could have gotten a better look!

And this is what happens when you walk a mile or two, and miss your nap. Sophie told me she was going to go upstairs, and about fifteen minutes later I ran up to check on her. She was out! I'm not really sure what all of the wipes were for! HA!

Snow Day

2011-01-18T07:20:00.000-08:00

On the 7th, we got the littlest bit of snow, but we took advantage of it, and bundled up to go outside. I found real snow suits at the consignment shop, so bundling them up is SO much easier this year. Also, I double glove them, so Sophie lasts just a little bit longer. She is just like me, and the minute something gets cold she melts down and wants to go in! Here she is pausing for one moment(not happily!) so I could snap a picture.

Jack eats snow off of his gloves the entire time he is outside, and then complains his mouth is cold. Silly guy! Matt said that when he took them out later that week, Jack actually eating mulch! Ridiculous!

Jack on the Kangaroo Climber. The second picture is from last year. He has gotten so big lately!

Rosy little cheeks!

This one might be my favorite. I still can't believe I had kids with such gorgeous blue eyes!

Little girl. She's hard to photograph because of the glare off of her glasses.

Getting warm and enjoying some hot cocoa. Jack refuses to drink warm milk, so he gets chocolate milk instead. Both kids like to have some marshmallows for in their cups, and some to eat.

Buffalo Bound

2011-01-18T06:34:00.000-08:00

After Christmas this year, we made our annual trip to Buffalo. We love visiting with family, and the twins were so excited to stay at Aunt Jean's house! They spent the majority of both days outside in the snow. It was the first time they had been able to go out in the snow, and they loved it!
The first day we were there, we celebrated Great Grandma's birthday. The big 8-0! Here is Great Grandma reading to the twins. They love to be read to, and Aunt Jean has a big stash of Christmas books the twins have never heard before.

This was really sweet! After we sang to Great Grandma, and were eating cheesecake, Jack walked over to Great Grandma, and told her, "Happy Birthday!" He can be such a little sweetie when he wants to!

No idea why Sophie was sitting on the counter eating a cookie, but I thought it was cute that she was sitting like this. Matt used to call me a monkey because I had a habit of sitting really strangely at tables when we first met!

If you had any doubt that my son was a nut, well now you know! Here he is playing with one of the gag gifts.

We brought some of the twins toys with us, but boxes and balloons were by far their favorite toys! Here they are playing in the box that Great Uncle Tom's dishwasher came in. (Sorry this picture is so blown out!)

Peek-a-boo!

On Thursday, Matt turned 29! Happy Birthday Matt! We celebrated at Aunt Shirley's house with the Keller Clan. The kids got to meet Mona and Nigel this year, and they had so much fun! The three older kids sat at the dinner table together, and chatted away!

Happy Birthday! It's so nice to be a kid, and get to help everyone blow out their candles! Matt got treated to wings, cake and peanut butter swirl ice cream. Yum!

Our little trip went so fast this year, and we loved every minute of it! Can't wait until the whole Anderson Family gets together again this summer!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

I wanted to document this Christmas on the blog, but then I got to thinking about it. I could upload hundreds of pictures, because I always have my camera close by, especially on Christmas. I could talk about how spoiled the four of were with gifts. I could talk about how loved we are, and how much we love our family and friends who celebrated with us this year. I could talk about how thankful and blessed that we are to have a warm house, let alone a pretty tree filled with ornaments. I could talk about how thankful I am for the twins and that I get to be a mommy, and celebrate this wonderful time of year with them. I could talk about how darn excited I was to give the twins their gifts. I could talk about how thankful we are that we all have our health(OK, barring that horrible sickness that plagued all of us this Christmas! ;)) But really, all that matters, and what I truly want the twins to take from this season is the real gift. The gift we all received in that little manger, in the stable, in the town of Bethlehem. And that gift is Jesus. God loved us so much that he gave us his son. Jesus. And that is the REAL reason for the season.

Today in the town of David
a Savior has been born to you:
he is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11

Gingerbread Houses

2011-01-05T09:54:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve, we decorated gingerbread houses, and a train. Shhh....I had bought the houses on clearance for a dollar last year, so they couldn't be eaten! HA! That was alright with Jack and Sophie though, because after all of the icing and candy, I think they couldn't eat anything else! The kids and I had gone to the bulk section at Wegman's and picked out a ton of candy. Matt and I bulit the houses, and then let the kids go to town. The really loved having artistic control.

Here, Jack lined up all of those non parels across the top of his house. Then he added them to the roof.

These pink strawberries were Sophie's pick at the store. After she put them on, she pulled a lot of them off and ate them. After we told her no more candy, she would watch us to make sure we weren't looking, and then sneak more in. She is a sneaky little girl! :)

Matt helping Jack.
Matt giving Jack a treat.

Sophie and I. This is just for the picture. She didn't really let me help!

Matt building the train. This was pretty intense work!

This is my favorite picture of the day. The way they are looking at Matt is just hysterical! He must have had too much sugar also! ;)

Cheese!

Candy Cane Lane

2011-01-05T09:35:00.000-08:00

Thursday the twenty-third, just two days before Christmas, we went to Hershey's Candy Cane Lane. I was hoping it would help us get in the spirit of Christmas, and I think it worked! We had so much fun. We stopped at Panera in Hershey for dinner, and tried to warm up a little. It was icy that day! Then we got back into our car, and turned the heat on full blast. We were right on time, and arrived shortly after the sun set. We were surprised at how many displays there were, and we liked trying to have the kids guess what they were. Sophie loved the fairies, and Jack really liked the reindeer! We bought the kids giant chocolate chip cookies, and they devoured all of them(well, except for the crumbs they left all over the car)! It was quite the enjoyable experience, and one I hope we repeat in the future!

When we paid to get into the lights, we were given two sets of glasses. At first we weren't really sure what they did, but we quickly discovered that they make points of light look like snowflakes. Awesome! Matt and I especially loved them!

It was hard to get a good shot of the lights, but that didn't stop me from rolling down the window and haging my upper body out of the car. What did stop me was Matt dying of embarrassment! ;)

Sophie enjoying half her cookie and some juice. That girl loves her sweets! ;)

Merry Christmas!

Like I said, Matt and I loved these glasses! I'm pretty sure it made driving pretty challenging for Matt!(He only wore them for a minute to let me snap this picture!)

The Perfect Tree

2010-12-15T08:20:00.000-08:00

Every year since Matt and I got married, we have hiked up a mountain and cut down a tree. The kids love to walk around and find a tree, although they didn't quite understand why we didn't cut down the first one we saw. We went early in the morning the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Matt has no patience with these things, and wanted the tree up right away! So we trekked up that mountain and found the prefect one! Little did I know, that it was going to be terribly freezing! I should have made the kids wear more layers, and gloves. Silly mommy! Instead, I stood on the side of a mountain with a sobbing three year old(Sophie, who hates cold as much as me) as people looked at me like I was crazy. Poor Sophie cried the entire time it took Matt to get the tree cart. The kids were happy to be tucked safely in the car, and enjoyed hot chocolate when we got home. That afternoon we decorated the tree, and the twins were thrilled by all of the ornaments!

Thanksgiving

2010-12-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving this year was the traditional Perini Feast. We have been enjoying Thanksgiving at Great Angie's house since I was probably ten. It is something I look forward to all year long! The food, and the whole Perini family gathered together in one house. That only really happens once a year. This year was no exception, and we all had tons of fun!

Here is Grandpa sneaking Jack a "Perini Bite" before the actual meal started. Matt yelled at my dad, but I was OK with it. I don't think you can actually fight the tradition of taking small bites. I'm pretty sure it's in their genes! We ALL do it, including my 91 year old grandmother!

This is also before dinner. This is what happens when I ask them to smile! Ridiculous!

Turkey cookies! Yum! I used to eat the same cookies when I was little! Sophie pretty much just licks the icing off! :)

Uncle Matt coloring with Sophie. What a softie! This picture seriously melts me!

On Friday, Matt and I snuck out for some shopping downtown. It was freezing, but we warmed up with lattes from Starbucks. We came home Friday night exhausted, but full and happy!

Mom's Club Activites

2010-12-06T06:14:00.000-08:00

We have jumped head first into the Mom's Club, and are trying to attend about 2-3 activities a week. It's been tons of fun. We have done everything from hayrides to playdates at people's houses. The twins are really enjoying having new adventures, meeting new friends, and playing with other children's toys. Here are a few pictures of the kids at two different activities. Monkey Joe's is a great big inflatable gym, and Paulus' is a pumpkin farm. Monkey Joe's may have been the twin's favorite activity from the month, and we spent three hours running around like crazy!

A Sunday In November

2010-12-06T05:33:00.000-08:00

Leaves! What is a fall without a romp in the leaves. I left for the store, and when I came back, Matt and the kids had this huge pile of leaves raked up. The were throwing them, jumping in them, and smashing them on each others heads. The perfect way to spend a sunny November day!

Month by Month-November 2010

2010-12-06T05:23:00.000-08:00

November, you flew by in the blink of an eye! We loved your changing colors, the last of the warm days, and the yummy food. But, most of all we are thankful for the amazing people in our lives, that make our days so much richer.
This month we:

Worked on our fireplace room, and now have two(almost done) built in bookcases, and a "library." Matt and I have always dreamed of having a library, and it is amazing to see it come to fruition. Thanks to my brother, the best carpenter ever!
The shelves would explain why our date night this month was at Lowes. ;)
Had a yummy Perini Thanksgiving. I loved seeing everyone together this year.
Jack and Sophie made new friends, and are loving having other kids(and their toys) to play with.
We cut down our tree, and decorated the house. Jack and Sophie love to plug the tree in each morning.
Jack's new nickname for Sophie is "Soph-ya". Which sounds pretty similar to Sophia.

Month by Month-October 2010

2010-11-01T06:18:00.001-07:00

October has been incredibly busy, with birthdays, traveling, house renovating, furniture shopping, and tons more. I feel like October went by in a heartbeat, and has left me wanting a vacation! We tried to enjoy the last of the warm fall days, as we are approaching winter.

This month we:

Jack and Sophie-turned three. I should have never blinked my eyes. How did this happen?
Matt-Made it to the semi-finals in his Men's Soccer league. We watched him play a couple of games, and score a couple of goals. He's still got it! ;)
Jack and Sophie-spent most of the month bickering. Sibling rivalry is in full effect. My favorite from the month? Sophie-"Mommy! Jack is looking at me!"
Amy-joined a MOM's club, and is looking forward to some fun activities for the kids...and ME!
Matt-is still plodding away at his business.
Jack and Sophie-have enjoyed the last of the warm days playing outside.
Sophie has figured out how to ride the tricycle, the big wheel, and the scooter.
Jack and Sophie-went trick or treating. Jack was Lightning again, and Sophie was Cinderella. They LOVED getting candy in their bags...and eating it too!
Matt and Amy-planted trees from our parent's yard in our yard, and are hoping they take, and start growing in the spring. We planted a maple, and three sassafras tress. We were unable to find the elusive tulip tree in my parent's yard.
Matt-helped to put a new roof on his parent's house.
Jack loved playing with the boys in our playdate. The three boys had all of the little matchbox cars talking to each other.

*This is a new part of our blog. In an attempt to record my family's history, I stumbled upon this idea on a blog. Each month, I will write the small things that we experienced as individuals and as a family. Each month will have one picture. It will be easy to print out each post and put it in a binder for future perusing. My official title is "family historian." I scrapbook a lot, but I also love the idea of having memories tucked away to remember at a time when our own memories fail us. I would love to have a recorded history of my family's past. We have printed out the blog and keep in a binder already, and we have most of the "big" events covered. So, in an attempt to give my children some insight into our day to day activities, I am going to try to do these posts every month!

Pucknik Carving

2010-11-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

We didn't get to visit a pumpkin patch as a family this year, so yesterday, we carved pumpkins. The kids were way excited to get started, even though I am not sure they knew what we were going to do. We helped Jack and Sophie draw faces on the pumpkins, but Jack didn't really want to help, so Matt ended up drawing his. Then we cut the top off of Jack's pumpkin, and told him to dig in. This was his reaction:

He was apprehensive at first, so Matt shoved his hand in the pumpkin. After he got his first feel, he pulled his hand out, giggling, and refused to stick it back in. He also wouldn't go anywhere near the goop that I pulled out. Next up was Sophie. This was her reaction to the pumpkin after we cut the top off:

Typical Sophie! She loves goopy, yucky stuff. Matt couldn't cut the top off fast enough! She cleaned every last seed out of her pumpkin, and then, helped me to pick the seeds out to roast. After all of the seeds were out, she ended up mashing, smashing, and kneading it! Too much fun!

Matt ended up doing the cutting, because who would seriously trust our kids with a knife? He cut the kids faces, and then he cut two of the papers that came with the pumpkin knife. From left to right, Sophie's(which you can tell Matt cut on the lines she drew for the eyes and nose, and I drew the mouth), Matt's mouse with a candycorn, Jack's, and my kitty.

Jack and Sophie were pretty excited when we took them outside and put candles in them. They were also excited to blow the candles out! It was lots of fun, and later we enjoyed the fruits of our labor, which was yummy toasted(and a little burnt! oops!) seeds.

Choo, Choo!

2010-10-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Matt went to a train show, and picked up an electric train. We have been talking about getting one for around the Christmas Tree for a long time. My family put up our train every year, so it is a tradition I am excited to pass on to my own kids. Matt purchased enough track to make a small oval, the engine and accessories pack, a coal car that dumps coal, a bridge, and a covered bridge. Later in the week he purchased more track pieces to make the track wider, in order to fit the tree in the middle. The kids were beyond excited that we were going to have a train that, "goes all by itself." They attacked Matt when he walked in the door with the goodies. After Matt set it up, they watched the cars go around the track, and eagerly waited for their turn to try. After a little bit of practice, the twins know how to make the engine go forward, change directions, and toot the horn. They have been really good about treating the train with the utmost care. Matt is already plotting what to add to his "set up," and it makes me wonder who was more excited about the train?

The twins aren't allowed to use the track if Matt is not home. Here Jack is getting a lesson on how to make the train go forward.

Jack is pressing the whistle button in this picture.

Sophie learning to operate the train.

All smiles with the train set before Matt added all of the extras.

I love traditions that bring the family together, and I am looking forward to many holiday seasons with our little train!

My Gym-"The Monkey Gym"

2010-10-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

The last couple of months, we have been taking the twins to a place called, "My Gym." It's a great big indoor gym, where the kids can run around and climb, jump, play, and explore their bodies. Once a week, we have a "class," which has a structure, including, circle time, practice skills, new gymnastics, songs, and games. They change the equipment once a week to maintain interest. The first few weeks, the twins were very shy, and didn't participate without a lot of encouragement. After that, they readily participated, said their names out loud in front of the group, and sat for the puppets. It was interesting watching them grow and change over a few short weeks. Sophie isn't as adventurous as Jack, but as the weeks passed, she became more confident in herself. Jack can be wild, but he was able to keep himself under control the more we went to the gym. It was really good for the kids, as a start to interacting with other kids, and in a group setting. We have just joined a MOM's club, and are hoping for even more interaction in the future!

Climbing the monkey bars with Daddy.

Going up the monkey bars the wrong way, of course!

A blurry jump into the ball pit! Sophie wouldn't go into the ball pit unless their were no other kids inside! HA!

Jumping on the trampoline while Daddy throws a ball at him! I think it's a part of Matt's training plan! ;)

Sophie LOVES balance beams! She is really good at taking her time and staying on them. She also prefers to dance across the room instead of walk! Such a girl!

Birthday Sunday

2010-10-07T07:10:00.001-07:00

The twin's real birthday was on Sunday this year, and since the party was on Saturday, we didn't want the actual day to feel anticlimactic. We planned a few low key activities to make the day special.
Matt made Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse pancakes in the morning for breakfast. (And a huge mess in the kitchen! ;) ) I made bacon and the little pink bows. The kids were tickled pink!

After breakfast, we went outside to play, and then went for a walk around our neighborhood.

Jack making a wish. It's funny when the kids blow these dandelions, because they have a hard time blowing the seeds, so they end up just ripping the seeds out with their hands!

Tree Hugger!
(This is Sophie's messy hair! She hates for me to put it up, because she is just like I was, and hates to have her hair brushed. I gave her a break this morning because it was her birthday!)

After nap, which the kids(and parents) needed after the prior day's festivities, we went to the park to play and take birthday pictures.
Then we went to McDonald's for dinner. The kids are in love with the play place at Chick-fil-a, but since it's not open on Sundays, we went to McDonald's. Too bad the kids don't really like fast food, and ended up eating very little!

Back at home we had little cupcakes with candles in them. Matt and I sang "Happy Birthday" and other variations of the song, a few times, which Jack and Sophie loved. Then they made wishes and blew out their candles.

Lastly, we had a movie night, and watched Ice Age.

The day went just as fast as the last three years have gone. I still can't believe I have three-year-olds! They are the best kids, and I love them with all of my heart!

Happy Birthday Little Ones!

Party Time!

2010-10-07T06:27:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, the day before the twin's birthday, we had a little party to celebrate. It was lots of fun, and there was lots of family and friends to help us celebrate with the twins. Unfortunately, the kids I invited to the party were all unable to make it for various reasons, so it ended up being an adult party. But the kids had fun anyway.

This year, instead of making myself crazy, and making cakes, I just bought two small cakes at Wegman's, and we put the candles on top of them. When Jack and Sophie saw them, they were just as thrilled as if I had made them.

Matt bought some pumpkins and hay bales, and we set up the furniture outside so that there was more room for guests to mingle. The day ended up being gorgeous after all the rain clouds passed through on Thursday and Friday.

To decorate for the party, I used these signs for outside, which I had made last year.

I also decorated with some of my favorite scrapbook pages, and set out an album for each of the kids. It was fun to look back through the pages and see how much the twins have changed in just a few short years!

This was in the entryway, and had little pages that guests could sign, and leave messages for the twins. The messages will slide in their birthday scrapbook.
I happened to find a scrapbook pages from the day they were born, and from their first and second birthdays, so I displayed them here. I hardly remember that day three years ago, and just how tiny they were. I love that I have these memories documented forever and ever! ;)

Sophie spent much of the day spraying water on the windows and pretending to clean them. No one told her that she was actually making them streakier!

Jack spent a lot of time downstairs playing with the new Cars he had opened from Matt and I early that morning. Cousin Rachel was sweet enough to keep him company. I think Jack liked having visitors to our house, but I think he also needed quite time.

Cheesing for the camera and the "Happy Birthday" song. Both Jack and Sophie loved everyone singing to them.

After cake, we opened presents and craziness ensued! :) Halfway through opening presents, Jack picked up his boxes of Duplos and walked out of the room. He was ready to play! Thankfully I intercepted him in the kitchen, and guided him back to the party! The kids received some really cool toys, but most of all, we are very thankful that everyone was there to help us celebrate!

Dear Jack @ Three Years Old

2010-10-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

Dear Jack,

You make me smile everyday. You are such a goofy, little guy. The things you say just crack me up. Just this morning, I couldn't figure out what "Puck-nick" meant. When I finally figured out your were trying to say, "pumpkin," what could I do but laugh at you? You are also such a little sweetie. You seem to know when someone is upset, and you give them extra cuddles. If Sophie is sad, you want to give her kisses. Your smile is contagious, and it is impossible to stay mad or sad around you. You love to run around the gym at full force, and explore what your body can do, how far you can jump, how high you can climb. I think it's safe to say that you got most of your mommy and daddy's athletic abilities. You also love dirt. Playing in it, and occasionally eating it...YUCK! You are in your natural element when you are outside playing in the sunshine, running around, and digging. Now that I have talked you up, I can mention some of the other ways you spend your days, like putting matching holes in our drywall by throwing your motorcycle down the stairs. I guess you wanted to see how it would bounce? Or dumping an entire box of Duplos on your sister's head. Maybe you wanted to see her reaction? Or finding a piece of chalk, and leaving a nice, bright pink line all the way around every wall in our freshly painted house. I can't see any sane motivation to this one! It's good you have all of those redeeming qualities, or you might just drive us all crazy! :) Your favorite toys are your cars from the "Cars" movie. You have always loved wheels, so it was natural you would fall in love with Lightning McQueen and Mater. A close second would be your train tracks. You love when Daddy makes you a new set up on your train table. Your favorite food by far is bacon. You would eat bacon until it came out of your ears. You like it extra crispy, and won't eat it any other way. You get extremely excited when a dish has little bits of bacon in it. You love books, and could sit for quite a long time and look at books. Your favorites are "Where the Wild Things Are," and the Magic School Bus Series. You like to learn new things from the books you read, or by watching an adult. You are fascinated when Daddy or your grandpas use tools. You are also still a mommy's boy, and will tell anyone who asks. Although we have been going through a little period of separation anxiety with me, it seems as if we are almost through it. I don't mind that you are a mommy's boy because I love to cuddle up with my little Jackers on the couch. It's hard for me to believe that three years ago you fit on my chest, and now you stretch out across my whole body! If I was to sum you up with one word, it would be "boy." You are a true, blue boy, and I wouldn't have it any other way!
I love you little boy, and all that you are! I am proud of you, and who you are! I can't believe how much has changed, and how much you have developed in the past three years! You are an amazing little boy, and I hope you always remember how special and loved you are! You light up our lives little man!
Lots and lots of love,
Mommy

Dear Sophie @ Three years old

2010-10-06T07:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Sophie,
My beautiful little girl. You are such a joy! Lately you are so strong and independent. You don't want me to help you with anything. You like to do it all by yourself. You love learning to do new things like putting your shirt on, or your socks and shoes. You will sit there for a very long time trying to accomplish a new feat. You also have to pick out your own clothes most mornings. You are very opinionated about what you wear. Although you like to wear pretty clothes, you hate to have your hair brushed, and it is a fight to get you to sit still, and let me put your hair up. You love to tease people, and just the other day, you got mad at daddy, and so you came to sit in my lap. When daddy told you he wanted a kiss, you kissed me instead. When he said he wanted a hug you hugged me. You love to be chased and thrown around. You are a completely silly, giggly girl! You crack up over the silliest things! You also like to act silly and dance around to make other people laugh. You are shy when we are at the gym or around other kids. You test the waters, and stay close to mommy. That might change soon though, because last week I caught you jumping into the ball pit all on your own. You love to color, paint, draw, and use stickers. You take your time and try to color the page nicely. You like to draw things like circles. You are also very responsible with the markers, and will keep them at the table, and put the caps back on. You are such a little smarty-pants. You have known your colors since your last birthday, but now you also know your shapes, and can count to ten. You love learning new things. Your favorite food is any kind of fruit. You love all kinds, but especially like to have your own apple, and walk around the house eating it. You don't have a favorite toy, if you don't count lovey, but you like your dress-up stuff, your dolls, and anything girly. You like to walk around the house in your little dress-up shoes, but especially like to wear mommy's high heels and shoes. Your favorite colors are pink and purple, and if you see something pink, you say "pink matches to me." You love books. You love to cuddle and read them together. Your favorite books are "Wemberly Worried" and "Weekend with Wendell" by Kevin Henkes. You like Wemberly because she has a little bunny named Petal. Wemberly rubs Petal's ear when she is worried, just like you and Lovey. You are a daddy's girl, although you won't admit it when asked. He is the person you ask for when you are upset, probably because you like his big, strong arms. You often tell me that you are, "all growed up now." And I tell you to slow down! If I could use one word to describe you, it would be, "girl." You are a pink, pretty, princess of a girl!
I love you Miss, and all that you are! I am so proud of the little girl you have become! I hope you always remember how loved and special you are to us. You shine in our lives everyday, and make them brighter!
I love you lots and lots,
Mommy

Three

2010-10-06T06:18:00.000-07:00

This Sunday Jack and Sophie turned three. Matt and I can't believe it has been three years already. Almost four since we first saw the little picture of our beans on the ultrasound. I can't remember a time without them. I love 'em to bits! So much has changed since three years ago when they entered our lives. I am still just as thankful that God blessed us with these little lives. That he answered our prayers.

At three Jack and Sophie have developed quite the little personalities! Together they crack us up, and drive us crazy from moment to moment! It's amazing how they are very similar to normal siblings in their fighting, but are much more like twins in how close they are when they do play together. At first glance you might say that Jack is the ring leader, but upon closer inspection you would see that Sophie is in charge sometimes too. Jack loves to wrestle, and would be happy if Sophie would be willing to do that all of the time. Sophie is warming up to the idea, but still cries if he is too rough. Jack also wants Sophie to join him in his little games all of the time. Often, Matt and I will look at each other and say, "What in the world are they playing?" When they do play together, they mostly play with Jack's cars, trains, or other boy toys. We bought Sophie some girl cars and trains for her birthday so that she could join in with girly things. The twins still sleep together in the same room, and we pretty much do things together all day long. When one of them wakes up before the other one, in the morning or at nap, they revel in that one on one time with us.

All in all, the last three years have been wonderful, challenging, delightful, maddening, stressful, exciting, and filled with tons and tons of love. Although our days are not perfect(OF COURSE!) I wouldn't change anything. I love you Jack and Sophie, and am thankful everyday that God chose me to be your mommy!

Knoebles Park

2010-10-04T06:10:00.000-07:00

For my birthday on September 13, we took the kids to Knoeble's Amusement Park. The grandparents, and Uncle Matt and Aunt Nikki, tagged along at my request. It's a good thing, because I was so exhausted by the end of the day, it was nice to have help! The park was just open from 12-8, so we got there, had lunch, met up with everyone, and rode on some rides. Sophie was hysterical on the first ride, "The Whip." I wish I had video of it! The Whip goes in a circle, but has two long sides. It goes slow along the sides, and then whips the cart around the curve. Sophie was not expecting it, and the look on her face was priceless. Jack on the other hand, loved it, and was all smiles! Sophie's favorite ride from the day was a pink car she could ride in. She called it "Chooki," which is a toy she has at home. Jack liked all the rides, but especially liked the rides that were a bit more advanced, and action filled. He's a daredevil! It was a good way to spend a birthday!

Bye Bye Diapers!

2010-10-04T05:58:00.000-07:00

Or at least half of the diapers in our house!

About three weeks ago, I decided to potty train the kids, or at least give it a good try. Sophie, who is ever the one to try to please us, potty-trained in three quick days. She was really into it from the start, and was willing to sit as long as I told her to. We also told her she could pick out any toy she wanted from the store. Sophie has wanted a toy baby carriage forever, so we took her to the store and made her drool over it, I mean, showed it to her, and she was set. I also bought her princess underwear that was sparkly, and told her she could only wear it if she kept the princesses dry, because they didn't want to be wet. She is so independent lately, that I think she liked doing it all on her own. Whatever it was, it clicked. And she has been dry all day long since that first few days. Here is a picture of Sophie with her bribe, I mean reward.
And now to get to work on my spunky boy. Who is a bit of a handful at the best of times! :)

Silly Kids

2010-09-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

My kids are nuts...really. If you spend any amount of time with them, you risk getting pulled into their utter craziness. I spent a lot of time with them. Hence craziness ensues in my brain. By bedtime, my mind is a muddled mess. If you try to talk to me, you might not understand a thing I am saying, because it will come out in gibberish. Most nights I do the bedtime routine and get the kids into bed. It's pretty routine and standard. The kids get dressed for bed, they brush their teeth, I read a few stories, sing a few songs, prayers, then bed. It's pretty simple stuff. One night a few weeks ago, the kids threw a wrench into the whole routine, and asked for milk before bed. When I went to get it, that craziness I was talking about ensued...
I could hear lots of loud banging and yelling upstairs, so as soon as I filled the cups, I rushed upstairs. As I entered the room, I saw the oscillating fan that resides in their room in pieces on the floor. They were running around screaming. Presumably celebrating the fact that they had broken yet another item in our house. I was quite frightened, because it looked like a bad situation. The fan was try to oscillate, it was still on, and there were wires sticking out. So I immediately started telling them how bad and dangerous it was, I spoke to each of them, and told them that from now on the fan was hands off. I finally got it back together, oscillating correctly, and was full of adrenaline from the entire situation, when Sophie walked up to fan, very careful to keep her hands off of it. She looked straight into it, and said, "SSSS-OOO-RRR-YYY, MMM-OOO-MMM-MMM-YYY!"

The Beach

2010-09-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

August 14-21, our family took a little trip to Ocean City, MD, with the Perini side of the family. My family has been taking trips to the east coast ever since I can remember, and I love that we can pass this tradition onto our kids. According to me, there isn't a more relaxing place on the planet than sitting next to the beach, with the sun warming your skin, and the waves crashing. It's my happy place. We all stayed in a little apartment, in a complex on 67th St. It is actually in the same complex that we stayed in with friends last year. We played on the beach, in the bay, the pool, the fountains, ate yummy food at the buffet at Phillips (Matt and I had a date night!), hang out with family, watched Cars and Up! in the torrential downpour, and just generally had a good time. We didn't spend a ton of time at the actual beach (Matt doesn't really like the beach, or the sun, but I snuck out during naptime a few days), but we did have a really nice vacation! Now to see if I can convince Matt that we need to buy a little house by the crashing waves that I can live in all summer! HA!

The Bay

2010-09-07T11:49:00.001-07:00

Our beach house was bay side, so we lucked out, and got to swim in the bay a couple of days. We swam in the bay by the pool, and then also, just outside our house, there was a little beach, with lots of frogs to keep us company. The kids loved the bay because it was warm, calm, and best of all, a giant sandbox. Give my kids sand, water, and shovels and they are set for the day! The only down side to the bay was the fish, and if you stopped swimming for even a minute, they would try to nibble on you...YUCK!

Here is Sophie showing me her seaweed.

Grammie modeling a seaweed hat.

The horseshoe crabs came out every night around five o'clock. They didn't bother us, but the kids loved to watch them. Another dad on the beach lifted one up so that the kids could see it underside. Lots of claws and legs!

Here we are cheesin' hard! This may be one of the only pictures of me at the beach. It's rare that I am not behind the lens!

The Pool

2010-09-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

One of the nicest features about the beach house, was the pool. My dad says, "Who drives all the way to the beach to go to the pool?" But go to the pool, we did! It was nice in the pool, because it was cool and refreshing, there weren't waves that could knock the kids over, and the best part? there was no sand! Sand and kids (at least my kids) creates a huge hassle, so i was nice to avoid that a couple of the days. The kids liked to walk in the pool, jump in the pool, and also have people carry them around. We spent a lot of time in the baby pool as well, because there were lots of toys to play with. Above are a few pictures of all of us enjoying the pool.

The Fountains

2010-09-05T04:41:00.001-07:00

The community that we stayed in had a large fountain that they turned on everyday at ten o'clock in the morning. It had little grates on the ground, and the water would flow out in a pattern, sometimes softly, and sometimes harder, and then at the end of the cycle, all of the fountains would go off at once, and there was tons of water shooting up. We visited it a couple of times throughout the week. Jack loved it, but wanted to have someone with him when he went into the middle. Sophie will tell you that she didn't like it at all, but I think you can tell by her face that she actually did like it! ;) There were also four little fountains that shot soft, little squirts of water, which Sophie liked more than the big fountains, as you can see in the last photo.

The Boardwalk

2010-09-05T04:36:00.000-07:00

Thursday night we went to the boardwalk after dinner. It was family night on the boardwalk, so there were lots of people dressed up as animated characters, and other people making balloon animals. The kids each got a balloon. Sophie a flower and Jack an elephant. Sophie's favorite character was Minnie Mouse, and she was awed to be able to hug her. Minnie was the only character she even got close to. Jack loved them all!

DelGrosso Amusement Park

2010-08-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we took a little trip to a nearby amusement part. We went with G&G Perini, Aunt Laurie, Great Aunt Angie, Cousin Teresa, Great Uncle Steve, and Cousin Jon. We were quite the group! There was a water park side, and then a few rides on the other side. We spent the first half of the afternoon roaming the water park. It was a zero entry pool with some mushrooms that poured water down, and a little area with slides, and spraying water everywhere. Jack loved going down the slide, as long as Matt or I was with him. Sophie was hesitant at first, and then after I accidentally got her stuck under the giant bucket when it poured over, she kept pretty much to the edges. Us adults took turns going down the huge slides. It was warm, but not hot, so we got lucky that it wasn't crowded. After a quick snack, we walked over to the ride side. Jack and Sophie could not wait to try out the rides. They were all smiles looking at the different rides. We decided to start them out on something tame, so they tried the cars, which basically went in a circle. I can't believe I thought they would cry! HA! They loved it, and immediately wanted to try something else.

The fish on the next ride went up and down, and at first Jack and Sophie weren't sure if they liked it. By the end of the ride they were all smiles, and by the end of the night, they were putting their little hands in the air, and letting go of the ride.

Jack and Sophie went in the boat together, and took turns ringing the little bell. They also tried to ring the bell behind them!

All smiles, ready for the elephant ride to start!

The helicopter ride was a hit! The bar that Jack and Sophie are holding makes the airplane go up if you pull on it, and down if you push it. Jack went straight up, and didn't come down until the end. He was delighted to be up so high in the air. Sophie was too cute, and she pumped the little handle back and forth, which made her helicopter bounce a little, until she also stayed up in the air.

A short, little train ride that we all got on. You can see everyone's heads if you look closely.

Aunt Angie, Grammie, and Grandpa took the kids on the big carousel while Matt, Laurie, Teresa, Uncle Steve and I attacked each other in the bumber cars. Don't tell, but Matt and I broke the rules by ramming each other head on. The five of us also caused a lot of traffic jam ups!

The kids each won a duck, a sword, and a few other little things playing games. We also had cotton candy. YUM!

After this, we had a little dinner, and then Jack and Sophie surprised me again by asking to go on the "bigger" rides. Unfortunately, to ride these other rides, you had to be thirty-six inches, and Sophie wasn't quite tall enough. She was allowed to sneak on one ride with dragons, because Teresa went with her, but they wouldn't let her on the roller coaster. Jack and I went on the roller coaster with Uncle Steve, and Teresa, while Sophie went back to the fish. Thankfully there were no tears! Jack liked the roller coaster, but was a little scared(thrilled) when it went fast!

The twins would have stayed all night, if we would have let them! They wanted to go on the rides again and again. They fell asleep in the car about three minutes after we left. To be honest, if we wouldn't have had to drive, Matt and I would have been out too! It was a good day, and we are all happy and exhausted today!

Racing Day!

2010-08-01T13:34:00.001-07:00

Every year, my dad, sister, and I run a 5K at my old high school. This year we signed the kids up for the 100m dash because they are competitive Andersons after all! The kids loved that they got to wear their own numbers just like the rest of us runners. Matt snapped these pictures of the kids while I was out running the race. It was too cute to see them clap for me as I ran by!

Stretching out their muscles, getting ready to run!

The three runners tired after a hot and hilly course!
I ended up coming in 2nd for my age group(19-29 women), but the announcer informed me that the winner of the age group was only one place in front of me. I'll get her next year! HA!

The start of the race. Jack started out running, and I encouraged Sophie to run. It was fairly chaotic, and kids were running all over and screaming and crying.

Sophie ran the whole thing with a smile on her face!

Jack ran the first part, but then stopped and walked all the way up the track although he came in before the kids who were crying!

They gave all of the kids little blue ribbons. Bet you can't guess what the best part of the whole day was? Yep, you got it, the freeze pops!

I love watching Jack and Sophie do new and different things. They get so darn excited over the smallest things. It just reminds me of how wonderful life truly is! I love sharing mine with them!

Up, Up, Up, and Away!

2010-07-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
~e.e. cummings

Anderson Family Reunion

2010-07-24T05:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the annual Anderson Family Reunion Camping Trip(say that three times fast). As usual, we had a blast! This year we stayed on Wellesley Island in the Thousand Islands in New York. It was beautiful all weekend except for the occasional rain storm. It also rained on Sunday night, and we woke up swimming in our tent, but the kids didn't mind. We arrived on Saturday, and set up our tent and beds. Jack and Sophie loved our outdoor home. We spent the next few hours cooking dinner while trying to dodge raindrops. Sunday morning we went to the lake beach. The water didn't open until eleven, so we played in the sand until then. Sophie was brave, and walked up to her armpits in the water. There were also little tiny fishies at the shoreline that the kids like to watch. Jack spent his time making a big sand castle, and puddle.

Back at the campsite the little kids all played in the rocks and dirt. They would put the dirt in the coffee cans and buckets, and then dump them into the holes in the board thingy(yes, that is the technical name I believe). I loved watching them all play together! Peter and Rachel also took the all four kids to the nearby playground.

On Sunday night, we let Jack and Sophie stay up past bedtime for the campfire. They enjoyed watching the flames, sitting with family, and playing with the glow sticks that Peter brought.

Monday morning, we went to the nature center to play, look at animals, animal skins, and play with puzzles. It was a good thing we went there, because we missed the rain while inside!

A family picture with all of the Andersons. We are missing the Yorks, as they were out in their boat!

On the way to the butterfly house. Jack and Sophie love their Daddy!

Sophie watching a butterfly sun himself in the butterfly house.

Just like every year, we had a blast! Jack and Sophie love being outside in the dirt and mud for days on end. They also love seeing all of their relatives, and running around like nuts. Can't wait for next year!

On the Boat

2010-07-22T15:29:00.000-07:00

You may remember from this post, that our trip on the York's boat last year was met with mixed reviews. Captain Donald and his first mate Peter took us out on the boat on Sunday night as the sun was setting. It could not have been a more beautiful night to revel in God's glory. The channel was the most beautiful color of emerald green I have ever seen! And this year, the kids loved the boat. The only time they got scared was when the boat went fast. Sophie was very brave, and wanted to stand in the boat, and feel the spray on her face. Jack was a little more hesitant, but did enjoy himself. It was so much fun watching them on the boat, and Matt and I had just as much fun as they did!

Happy 4th!

2010-07-16T04:17:00.000-07:00

The weekend of the 4th was as busy as any other weekend. We spent Saturday at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and played in the pool, played at the park, and ate lots of good food. Then Sunday we went to Grammie and Grandpa's house for more good food, pool play, and a nice walk. These pictures have become a tradition, and my family knows better than to mess with me when I say it's picture time. Ask Matt, I'm pretty sure he thought I was going to sprout two more heads and grow to fifty feet tall if he didn't agree to this! HA! No, I kid, but really, don't mess with my picture taking plans! :)

And Grammie and Grandpa got in on the action this year too!

Toy Story 3

2010-07-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to see "Toy Story 3" in the movie theater. It was the kids first movie! They love "Toy Story 2," So we thought this would be a good match. They loved seeing Buzz and Woody onscreen, but there were a few parts that Jack thought were kind of scary. The twins weren't heavy enough to keep the theater seats down, so they sat with Matt and I. The cuddling was nice, and the kids liked it too! Lots of popcorn and fun!

Father's Day Camping Trip

2010-07-15T17:55:00.000-07:00

This year for Father's Day, we joined Aunt Kim's family on their annual Father's Day camping trip. Matt went the year I was pregnant, but I wasn't up for hiking, or sleeping on the ground that year, so I missed out. We just went for one night, but the kids loved it. What's not to love about dirt, rocks, hiking, waterfalls, camp food, and sleeping in Grandma and Grandpa's trailer? We got there early on Saturday, and played for a little. After nap, we all went to Rickets Glen, for a hike by the waterfalls. The kids were troopers, and loved walking in the waterfalls. Jack loved, loved, loved Kim's sister Erin, and stayed by her side the whole walk. Sophie was happy to have Grandma and Grandpa carry her around. After the hike, we had dinner, s'mores, and then bedtime. Unfortunately there wasn't much sleeping going on. But after they got to bed, the adults played boccie ball with flashing balls(talk about a headache), and taboo. When we got up in the morning, we had a breakfast at the camp, and packed up to go home. It was a fun trip, and the kids are excited for more camping! When we got home, both kids fell asleep on Daddy, and we had a Chinese food dinner with Grammie and Grandpa. I'm pretty sure Matt had the best time of all of us.

Dear Sophie Right Now

2010-06-25T13:26:00.001-07:00

Right now you are:

In love with polka dots, or "go-dots." You have more polka dot outfits than any one person should own. And you throw a fit if I suggest an outfit that doesn't include one.
Into dress up clothes. You also love to put on other people's shoes, and walk around in them.
A sweets eater. Just like mommy. And you are always up for ice cream. We discovered that peanut butter ripple is your favorite, after you ate Grammie's cone instead of your own.
A little mommy. You love to feed your baby, and after she eats you rock her and kiss her.
Very dramatic! You let us know how you are feeling, happy or sad.
Love girly things like dresses, shiny shoes, and nail polish. How did that happen? I am way out of my league.
A Daddy's Girl. He melts your heart, and when he gets home after work you ask him to cuddle under a blanket. Don't tell anyone, but you have been melting his heart since the day you were born.
Assertive. You like to tell Jack what to do. Maybe I should just say you are bossy!
Shy. We are working on this one, but it always takes you a few minutes to warm up to a new situation.
So sweet. You love to help Jack out, and give him toys to play with.
Have quite the little attitude for such a little girl. You are spunky through and through.
Into art. You love to color, draw, and play with play dough.
The love of our lives. We don't know what we would do without you. We love you more than you know

Dear Jack Right Now

2010-06-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

Right now you are:

Cracking us up with all of the silly things you say. Sometimes I wonder where you get the things you say!
An early riser. Just like Daddy. But truth be told, I can say you only sleep in about two months a year. Let's work on this one.
Into how everything works. You love watching your Grandpas or Daddy when they are using tools.
The ring-leader. You lead the pack, that's for sure.
Into trains. Especially the new Lionel magazines your Daddy brought home.
Love when Daddy watches you play soccer.
Are cuddly. You love to be "cuddled up" beneath a blanket with Daddy and I. I know I won't have this one forever, so I will take all of the kisses and cuddles I can get right now.
Love to play rough with Daddy.
You are quite the mommy's boy...but shhhh...I won't tell anyone. You make me kiss all of your boo boos real and imagined.
Go crazy at the playground. You are in your element running, jumping, and screaming. And eating sand, just like all boys should.
Can be really sweet to your sister, giving her hugs and kisses.
Into everything. I swear you have eight arms like an octopus instead of just two like a normal little kid should have.
Are a dirty little boy. When I tell you that you are going to take a bath, you tell me, "I want to be a dirty boy!"
Are the love of our lives. We love you more than you will ever know little one. Our life wasn't the same with out you in it.

A Day Out With Thomas

2010-06-17T16:46:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday, Thomas the Train came to Stasburg. The kids got to ride a regular train, Thomas the Train (much like the regular train, except with a Thomas engine), a rail cart and a miniature train. We also had a picnic in the grass and watched the trains.

More "Heard Around the Anderson House"

2010-06-10T05:08:00.000-07:00

I thought all three of you that read my blog(Grandma P and Grandma A!) might like to hear some more silly things heard around our house. Besides, I like to write these things down, so that we can remember them FOREVER! But I will say that my mom remembers enough embarrassing things that I have said, without writing them down...ahem..."Handsome and Griddle." My parents used to call them "Amyisms." But enough about me, here is what the twins have had to say recently:

Jack broke a plastic cup while playing in the pool, and when he showed it to me, I asked, "What happened?" He quickly told me, "I happened!" Which coincidentally is the story of Jack's life...he "happens" all over the place!

Sophie says something that Matt and I can't understand, so we ask Jack to clarify it for us. And visa verse. They are usually pretty good at understanding each other.

Jack took lots of toys from all over the playroom, and threw them in a pile. When I asked him what he was doing, he said, "I'm making a party!"

Jack now calls Sophie, "Peep"(Little-Bo-Peep), "Princess Attas," "Andy"

Sophie new silly word is "peanut bunner"

Jack's new silly word is "mastatocused" (may I be excused)

Sprinkler Fun!

2010-05-31T15:17:00.000-07:00

Last week we had some really hot days! We decided to beat the heat by taking the sprinkler out after we had dinner. The kids were unsure about the sprinkler last year, but this year they loved it. They ran all over the place, and got soaked. Then they moved all of their toys underneath the spray of water, to see which ones filled up. Matt and I sat in our lawn chairs and watched the action. We only got a little wet when Jack moved the sprinkler. And then when we were done, Matt put on Sophie's butterfly towel and pretended to be a bee and chased the kids all around. All in all it was a good time!

The Patch...

2010-05-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

This is pretty much how Sophie feels about her patch. She hates it. I feel so bad for her when I have to put it on. She definitely gets to the point when wearing it, where she just gets mad, and frustrated, and then doesn't really do much of anything. So we try to put it on for around an hour in the morning, and then another hour in the afternoon. We aren't sure if it's the patch or the glasses, but we are really seeing improvements in her eye strength! Praise God!

Just like Daddy

2010-05-24T05:50:00.001-07:00

The kids adore their Daddy, and love any chance they get to be just like him. Saturday, we stopped by a soccer shop, and they had these little kits(soccer uniforms) that were just the right size for the kids. Ok, really they are huge, but if I stitch up the back of the shorts they will fit just right, with room to grow. When Matt walked in with the kits, Jack started hoping up and down, saying, "Oh, my! Oh, my!." Then, both kids started taking off their outfits to get into the kits. Jack was Messi, and Sophie was Rooney. They ran around the house kicking soccer balls, and yelling, "GGGGOOOOOAAAALLLLL!" Just like Daddy.

Happy 6th Anniversary!

2010-05-24T05:35:00.000-07:00

Matt and I celebrated six years this past weekend! Yay! To celebrate, we went to a local park, and had a picnic, and then went out to dinner. It was nice to get out and relax a little. After we had lunch at the park, we got out the camera, and turn on the self timer, and snapped a couple of pictures of ourselves together. These are my favorites.

I won't show the pictures of what Matt really thought about this process(or the fact that I left the camera stand at home), but he loves me, so he humored me!

Glasses

2010-05-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Sophie got glasses! She has had a lazy eye problem for a couple months now, so we made an appointment with the eye doctor. It turns out that her vision is very poor, and she is extremely near-sighted. One eye is 400, and the other is 500. Sophie was using her good eye so much, that the muscles in her weak eye grew so weak that she wasn't really using them at all. That is what was causing the lazy eye. The eye doctor put drops in Sophie's eyes to dilate them, and apparently they sting a lot. I lost it at the doctor's office. Out of all of the things that Sophie and I have been through together, this was probably the mildest. But when the doctor put the drops in her eyes, I started crying immediately. Good thing Matt was there, because Sophie loved being held by her big, strong Daddy, and I was able to try to compose myself so she didn't get upset. We waited in the waiting room for her eyes to dilate, and the poor thing kept tripping and loosing her balance. The doctor said her glasses would be really thick, and all I could think of was kids' glasses that I had seen when I was little. Instead, we got to pick out really cute square frames, and the lenses were ground down, so that they aren't too thick, and her eyes aren't too magnified. I think she looks like a little cutie, but I am sure I would think that no matter what! She loves her glasses! Sophie also has to wear a pink patch that goes over her glasses, and that is the real point of contention. She hates that "pink mousey" patch! She only has to wear it for 2-3 hours a day, but she gets so mad! We are praying that her eye will heal quickly, and she won't have to wear it for much longer. She really does like to wear her glasses, but already in the first week, they have gotten bent. We just have to take them back and get them fixed, but really, how am I supposed to take care of these things for her? It's going to be a challenge! Here is a picture of Sophie in her new glasses, making her "cheese" face.

Backyard Bird Sanctuary

2010-05-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

Sophie and Jack love to watch the birds and animals that fly and scamper through our back yard, so we recently bought a bird feeder to place right outside the three-season room. The kids can get pretty close to the birds, without scaring them. Since putting it up about a week ago, we have seen cardinals, robins, finches and other birds I can't identify. We also have been visited by squirrels and bunnies. The kids love it! They are learning to be quite and still so that the birds won't fly away. Sophie picked this bird feeder out. It's called "the chalet." I guess I should mention that after a week, I hit it with the lawn mower, and destroyed it. Matt was nice enough to pick up a new one at Walmart, and we are back to having our own little bird sanctuary.

Jack helping Daddy put the bird feeder stake into the ground.

Checking it out.

This is the crazy face and squeal that Sophie makes when she sees a bird. Hence the reason they need to learn to be quite and not scare the birds!

A-Mazing!

2010-04-27T17:02:00.001-07:00

On April 16, I checked the weather, and a storm was predicted for our area. I told the kids about it, and we anxiously awaited the storm. They kept saying, "A 'torm is coming." Over and over and over. And I reminded myself that next time I shouldn't tell them that a storm is coming until it is closer to the predicted time. I also talked to them about how God makes the thunder and lightening, and storms, so there was no reason to be scared of them. When Matt got home, we watched from the front window as the clouds and wind rolled in. Unfortunately, we were disappointed because it only rained, and there was no thunder or lightening. We could see the sun start poking out through the clouds, and Matt and I thought it was perfect rainbow weather. We moved to the back of the house, out on the porch to try to see a rainbow. Sophie told me, "Mama make a rainbow." I told her I couldn't make rainbows, and asked her who makes the rainbows. She told me, "God." At that very instant, a huge rainbow opened up in the sky behind our house. It was breathtaking and amazing. God certainly did make a beautiful rainbow for us!

Snippets and Tidbits

2010-04-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

Heard around our house...

Jack to Sophie: No Wofie, don't do that.

Sophie to Jack: I not Wofie, I Rodie.

Sophie was talking at the dinner table, and Jack looked at her and said, "What are you talkin bout Wofie?

On the way home from my Grandmother's, Matt said, "We're home!" and Jack said, "Home, home, giggity gig." (I say the nursery rhyme, "Home again, home again, jiggity-jig.")

Jack gave Sophie her lovey, and she said, "Thank you." He said, "Yooouuuu'rrreee welcome," and stretched out the word.

When they want to watch t.v., they say, "I want to watch "yee-yee."

Sophie tells Matt and I, "I love you back the moon."(I love you to the moon and back.)

Jack says, "I love you too." even if you haven't said I love you first.

Sophie says, "I Rinderella."

Jack to Sophie, "Dance with me Rinderella, I prince."

Some of the silly words the kids say-

Jack-Dondut, mac-a-pony(I think he gets this from reading the Yankee Doodle poems), Nighting(Lightning), he calls Sophie, Wofie, haaammerhead(with a soft "a"), and my favorite, pepdaponi

Sophie-Godots, she calls herself Wodie, she calls her bunny Peegee-funnybunny(P.J. funny bunny)

These pictures were taken in February, and for some reason I really love them. They really show the kids' personalities.

She insists on wearing the crown this way.

The little sinker wouldn't turn to the front, so I got a mugshot instead.

I asked them to kiss each other, and this is what ensued.

And my absolute favorite.
I hope they always love each other this much!
<3

Easter Egg Hunt With the Best Neighbor Ever!

2010-03-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

We have the best neighbors here! This is the first time where we have lived somewhere that we love our neighbors. The kids adore Kathy, the neighbor who lives behind us, and also her husband Jim. She goes to the playground and store with us, and always comes over to chat with us on nice days when we are outside. The kids also love Henry, her sweet little dog. Last Thursday, Kathy planned a little Easter Egg Hunt for the kids, with little prizes instead of candy. She hid the eggs in our yard, blue for Jack and pink for Sophie, and inside were little notes with a drawing of a little toy for the kids. They opened the little note, and there were pictures of toys on it. The kids had a blast, and Sophie got the hang of opening the paper right away. They were thrilled with the toys she got them, especially the magnifying glass. Jack wanted to find an ant right away! Thanks Kathy! :)

Jack finding an egg. He probably thinks there is candy in it!

Sophie finding an egg. I'm sure she is hoping for some candy!

Sophie helping Jack out by finding his blue egg. He helped her out later.

Opening the paper.

A little spring hat. Sophie loves dress up, and all things girly, so this was perfect!

A car for Jack. Also perfect for our car obsessed little boy.

Kathy teaching Jack how the magnifying glass works.

Daddy being crazy with Sophie. I capture the part on film where he let go, and she held on(for dear life!).

The kids with Kathy.

Baltimore Aquarium

2010-03-12T07:35:00.001-08:00

Wednesday we took the kids to the Baltimore Aquarium in Baltimore. The kids have been watching "Finding Nemo" recently, and have become interested in fish, sharks, turtles, and other under water creatures. They are at the perfect age fore discovering! We left our house bright and early, and arrived at the Aquarium by ten. It was a good day to go, because although it was warmer outside, there weren't a lot of school kids there. This meant plenty of free space to roam! The kids loved it! When we first arrived, we spent a few minutes looking out at the boats in the Harbor, which Sophie loved.

Next, we went downstairs and watched the dolphins swimming in their tanks. Sophie was also fascinated by this. After the dolphins, we traveled over to the new jellyfish exhibit, which was very cool. If Sophie got too close to the tanks and touched them, Jack would tell her, "No Wofie!"

Next, we watched the scuba divers feeding the sting rays, or as the twins call them, "Mr. Ray." They loved this, and because there wasn't a crowd, we were able to get up close to the scuba diver, and watch her put squid into the sting rays mouths! We also saw a big sea turtle, and a couple of sharks. Sophie loved the one shark, because it had "Godots"(polka dots).

After we watched the sting rays, we watched the scuba divers feed the turtle lettuce, and walked around the Aqurium, and saw lots of different aquatic life.

Next, we went to the Dolphin Show. The kids loved watching the dolphins, and Jack would get excited and clap when they did a trick.

The most exciting thing for the twins was seeing Nemo! There were two clown fish in and anenome, and we told the twins it was Marlin and Nemo. They also loved finding Dori.

We also spent time in the Austrialian Rainforest, and watched fish spit at crickets so that they could eat them, watched birds and turtles up close, and tried to spy the monkeys, although they were hiding.

We walked across the way, and had lunch at the Cheescake Factory, but Jack was so tired he spent the entire lunch asleep on the table!

All in all, we had a blast, and the kids loved it. The next day, Jack told me, "I NEED to see the jellyfish!" Hopefully we will be repeating the trip sometime soon!

My Little Biker Gang

2009-11-04T14:21:00.000-08:00

Uncle Matt, Aunt Nikki, and Aunt Laurie got the kids little ride on motorcycles for their birthday. These are the first toys that the kids can actually ride, and move by themselves. They never understood any of the other toys. They were so excited that they could hardly wait for Matt and Nikki to get the wheels on! I love this picture of the two of them, because they really are like their own little biker gang, with Jack being the leader as expected! They ride all over our house, and when Jack stops, Sophie stops too. Then they giggle at each other, and ride on. The bikes have an engine sound for when you start the bike, and music for the turn signals, and horns. Of course the kids hit the key button to turn the car on, and then they have to play the music the whole time they are riding. So much fun! I love that they are playing together more and more, and discovering each other.

Trick-or-Treat at the Mall

2009-10-30T05:47:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to the mall last night to go trick-or-treating, and collect some loot. (The kids won't know if I eat it all right?) There was supposed to be a Curious George show, but instead it was a witch singing. I'm not big on the whole witch thing, so we skipped out and started trick-or-treating instead. It was good, because we missed the crowds, and were able to pop into Picture People for free pictures. (Free pics of my kids? Sign me up!) Then we came home and visited a few neighbors. The Gates, who live behind us got Sophie a stroller and Jack some Matchbox cars. Needless to say, Sophie had to push the stroller the rest of the way...and sleep with it! Silly girl! We also stopped in at a house of one of our neighbors with kids. Emma gave the twins tons of candy, and invited them in to play. Needless to say, we were done at that point, and let the kids play. It was a fun, and late night!

*Please bear with me that the pictures are all mixed up. It has taken me HOURS to do this post, and I refuse to spend anymore time on this. I see a switch to typepad in our near future. Blogger has me so mad I'm going to throw my computer across the room!!!!

Getting candy at the bookstore. It took the kids a little while to understand how to take the candy and put it in their bag.(Of course their mom kept telling them the candy wasn't a good choice when they took things that would get stuck in their teeth. Matt thought I was crazy!)

Waiting with Scooby-Doo to get their pictures taken.

Getting candy.

Sophie's little cat costume. Matt taught her to say, "Meow," and to pretend to lick her paw.

Waiting with Daddy and all the other kids.

Jack-er I mean Lightening McQueen. (Did you really think it would be anything else? ;))

The kids with their homemade treat bags. (I wasn't going to pay $20 to buy two treat bags!)

What a cute cat!

Punkin' Pickin'

2009-10-28T05:10:00.000-07:00

OK, so we didn't technically pick any pumpkins, but we did have a good time. On the way back from the beach, we stopped at a big pumpkin farm right off the highway. We had talked about doing this for a while, and when Matt saw the sign, we took the off ramp! There was so much to do there, and it was fun to watch the kids run around. True to his nature, Jack wanted to see everything all at once. He only wanted to stop long enough to discover what each activity was, and then he wanted to see the next. Sophie, true to her nature, wanted to stop and smell the roses. She wanted to take her time, and fully explore each activity. Therefore, Matt and I split up after the first few minutes. We both ran with our own kid all over the pumpkin patch. Well, I ran, Matt walked. It was a gorgeous fall day, just lovely, and we took advantage of it, and played, ate, and enjoyed ourselves!

I'll warn you now that there are a TON of pictures. We had a really good time, and I felt like sharing. Complete picture overload! ;)

The kids were way too short to operate the cars themselves, but Jack wanted to push, and Sophie wanted to be pushed, so it worked out.

We spent the most time on this big "Jumping Pillow." It was almost like a bounce house, but it was shaped like a pillow. The twins were apprehensive at first, but after watching the other children, and trying it out, they loved it. Jack was jumping with both feet off of the pillow, where as Sophie was a little more apprehensive. We were lucky that when we came back later, before lunch, we had the pillow mostly to ourselves. There were no big kids going crazy. Jack even figured out how to walk up it himself, by going up the corners. Too fun!

Sophie was much happier when Daddy was there to spot her.

Jack in a tractor.

Pushing a big ball around a fenced in area.

A slide made on top of a hay bale.

Jack loved this teepee. Sophie hated it, and wouldn't go anywhere near, let alone in it! It's funny that they don't trust us when we say it's safe.

Daddy being silly for the twins.

We wanted to get a picture, but Sophie cried because we stopped the wagon.

Look closely, and you can see my bribe to get Sophie to stop crying. Hint *It's in her cheek. Haha!

Trying to get a good picture by the pumpkin was impossible!

Pushing the wagon, except she could only do it backwards!

Finally a good picture after lots of hard work!

Beach, Part 2

2009-10-27T06:28:00.000-07:00

Here are a few extra pictures of our trip. Enjoy!

Family Bike Ride

Family at the beach.

Mommy and Sophie in the water.
(Please excuse my yucky white legs! HA!)

Playing Bocce Ball with the extra balls, while Daddy, Renee, and Mike all played.

(So glad Sophie didn't drop it on her toesies!)

Beach! Beach! Beach!

2009-10-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

Columbus Day Weekend, we loaded up the car and headed to Ocean City Maryland, for four days of the last of summer. It was a gorgeous beach weekend, with warm weather, and a luckily, some warm water too. The twins were the only kids this weekend, and were therefore spoiled rotten with attention by all of our friends. We played in the water at the ocean and the bay, rented bikes, and rode down the boardwalk, went for walks in the stroller down the main drag(it was anitque/hot rod weekend, so the kids loved this), had lots of good food, and tons of fun with our friends. All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. Jack only woke up once screaming for his trucks, so that was good! ;)

We were the first ones to the house, and couldn't get in without the keys, so we ventured to the beach. It was a quick walk, and the twins rode in style, on our shoulders of course! When we got to the beach, the twins were instantly excited. After all, it was the biggest sandbox that they had ever seen! They mosied slowly down the beach, stopping to play in the sand, and pick up shells and other treasures.

This was Sophie's first reaction to the water. The picture is not lit well, but if you look at her legs, she won't let them touch the water. She gripped my waist, and when I pryed her off, she held her legs high in the air. Silly girl! This beach-loving girl was not expecting her daughter to do anything other than love the beach!

This was Jack's reaction. Yep, he's thinking, "no mom, it's not gonna happen. I'm not going anywhere near that water." And he didn't. I tried to put him in the water also, but he is much stronger than Sophie, and I couldn't pry him off of my hip!

Thank goodness Sophie decided to give it a second try. Her face says it all. She loved the water and the waves. Matt held her hand, and she would rush into the ocean, until the water was up to her chest. She even tasted a little...and made a huge yuck face. She wanted to stay in all afternooon. My little fish!

And this was Jack giving it a second chance. No, nothing changed. I don't know why he doesn't trust his mom and dad, but I think he thought we were trying to throw him to the wolves by taking him to the water. So we gave up and let him play in the sand, and took tons of pictures of Sophie. He was happy in his sandy world.

Daddy and Sophie jumping the waves. I really should have put a suit on her!

Ah, finally Jack became excited. He loved the seagulls. He chased them all around the beach screaming at them. He actually does a pretty mean impression of them, but it scared them away. And then he would cry. Lucky for him, the seagulls are all over the beach.

We were very lucky that the house we stayed in shared a private beach on the bay with the other houses in the complex. The bay was much calmer. My mom tells the story that when I was little, and first saw a lake, I walked until the water was to my chin, and they had to pull me out for fear I wouldn't stop. That's exactly what Sophie did, until Matt turned her around and guided her back towards the beach. She loved it!

Here's Jack, finally being brave and going into the water. He wasn't as overwhelmed at the bay, because there were no crashing waves. He also became adventuresome, and walked out into the water.

We gave the kids some sand toys, and let them play. The loved it! When we asked them if they wanted to go to the beach, they would say, "Beach! Beach! Beach!" I'm happy, because I am a beach lover, and I have such good memories of family trips to the East Coast. I can't wait to raise a couple of beach lovers of my own!

Two Year Pictures

2009-10-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

Matt and I have decided that we are going to make taking pictures in the park a tradition. If you don't remember last year's pictures, go here. (click on the word here!) We went to a local park the day after the twin's birthday, all decked out in their birthday gear. We let them run around the field while we snapped pictures of them. It was way more work than last year! We did get some good ones though, so I was happy! If you would like to see all of the pictures, once again, there are tons, so click on this link to flip through the pictures on facebook. We hope you enjoy looking at pictures of our kids as much as we do, because there are a lot! ;)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=36703&id=1373563290&l=6a1c8bb9f5

Happy 2nd Birthday Babies!

2009-10-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Jack and Sophie's second birthday! So much fun! We got up bright and early this morning and opened presents first thing. Jack was so excited, that wanted to just grab everything and open it. They were very excited to get new toys and books. Sophie was especially excited about the skirt I picked out for her with pink polka dots on it. She was not happy that I didn't put it on that second. We spent the morning getting ready with some help from Grandma P. Thank goodness she helped, because I was a wee bit over my head. After I iced the cakes, Matt decorated them with more icing, and Cars toys for Jack, and "Girls" for Sophie. My mom and I made a million puff balls for celing in the screened in porch, just in time for Uncle Rick and Aunt Kim to arrive to help us put up the decorations. Then Grandma and Grandpa A arrived. We got the twins up from their nap, and showed them the decorations on the porch. Jack was afraid of the puff balls! Too funny. After this, Grandpa P and Uncle Matt and Aunt Nikki showed up on their Harleys. Jack loves the "bikes." Lastly, Great Uncle Greg, and Aunt Theresa, and cousin Rachel came. Rachel played with the twins, and made them wild! Everyone talked, and snacked and played with the kids for a few hours, until it was time to cut the cake. Jack took one look at his cake and started pulling the cars off. Sophie pulled her dolls out of her cake, and licked off all of the icing. She loves icing as much as me. After cake we opened presents. The twins are spoiled rotten, and received lots of toys that will keep them busy for months! After everyone left, we calmed the kids down, and put them to bed. They went right to sleep after such a long day!

There are way to many pictures to post on the blog, so instead I am including a link to an album on facebook. All you have to do is click on the link, and flip through the pictures. Maybe you can get a sense of how much fun we really had! :)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=36238&id=1373563290&l=4a997c96bc

Back to our regulary scheduled progam.

2009-09-27T19:02:00.001-07:00

We have filled the summer with memories:

playing in the baby pool, and puting the kangaroo climber slide in it,
having play dates with the Dowlings,
visiting the Hershey Zoo, and Chocolate world,
eating lots and lots of berries and watermelon,
learning to talk, the kids are reapeating almost everything we say now(such a relief that they are finally talking!),
playing together, and fighting some too,
going to the park, and playing in the sandbox(Jack's favorite) and on the swings(Sophie's favorite),
playing in the mud,
running around in the rain(Jack loved it, but it took Sophie a little time to warm up to it)
visiting with family,
drawing with chalk on the basketball court,
blowing bubbles in the backyard,
visiting with the neighbor who lives behind us, Kathy,
watching the birds, bunnies, squirrels, and groundhog that live in the backyard,
going for lots of walks and jogs in the jogging stroller,
offcially starting potty training (EEEKK!), now if i could get someone to sit on the potty...
eating ice cream,
staying up late, and waking up early...a wicked combination!,
watching Cars, which is Jack's favorite,
ransacking the house daily,
visiting a few fairs,
visiting Daddy at work for lunch,
going shopping with mommy,
laughing at butterflies,
enjoying the warm sunshine,
cracking up at our little ones,
enjoying God's beautiful summer, and the blessing that our family is.

Now that summer is over, it's time for me to get back to blogging! I have missed coming on here and writing posts. It gives me and excuse to take pictures, and a reason to record everything. I love that we recorded their first year on here, or we wouldn't have any record of it, it was such a whirlwind. So, I will let you know when something new and exciting happens!

August Wedding

2009-09-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

Way back on August 14, we went to a wedding for my cousin Mike, and his bride Lauren. It was a beautiful wedding in Webster, MA. It was right on the lake, and the day was perfect; not too hot! We got the kids gussied up, and took lots of pictures, and ran ourselves ragged.
So much fun!

Aunt Laurie was taking pictures, and we were all telling the twins to kiss. Jack wouldn't kiss Sophie, so she grabbed his face, and planted on on him. What a sweet memory to have captured on film!

I <3>

The kids stood for a few pictures, but they really just wanted to dig in the dirt and stones! While waiting for the wedding to start, they ran all over the place.

Jack loved his tie...honest! ;)

The beautiful bride and handsome groom.

We had bagels and fruit as appetizers, and then a brunch was served. My kids love breakfast, so they ate tons of bagels, eggs, bacon, potaotes, and ham. People were amazed at how much they ate. They must have hollow legs, because I think they ate more than me!

After brunch, the kids ran all over the place with their grandma and grandpa, Aunt Laurie and Josh, and Aunt Nikki and Uncle Matt. They loved to go down the hill to the lake, and throw stones in the pond. Before we knew it, Sophie curled up on grandma's lap and passed out. I wanted to do that too! Matt and I were exhausted by the end of the day!

After the wedding, we went back to hotel, and the kids played around in their pack-n-plays while Matt and I attempted to sleep. Then we met grandma and grandpa for dinner. Matt and my mom had fresh lobster, and Sophie gobbled it up! It was so cute to watch her grab the little lobster fork and put it in her mouth. I think she may have eaten most of her grandma's lobster herself! It was a fun day!

I <3 Them

2009-07-23T04:29:00.000-07:00

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are are family happinesses.

~Joyce Brothers

Anderson Reunion Camping Trip

2009-07-21T04:12:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, we headed up to Tioga, PA for the Annual Anderson Reunion. We had tons of fun playing in the woods. The twins loved the freedom of being able to fun all over the campsites. We put their pack-n-plays up in the tent, and it felt very homey. Sophie slept awesome, but Jack was up on Sunday at 4:15 am. I think it may have had something to do with the fact that it sounded like there was a bird inside our tent! There was a water spigot that the twins spent most of their time playing in. They also enjoyed the playgrounds, running through the field behind the campsites, playing in dirt, eating yummy food, and playing with all of their relatives. They came home happy, satisfied, little, dirt balls.

S'more please!

2009-07-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

Sophie has a sweet tooth that would rival her Mama's! Poor girl, but I think it's hereditary, so neither of us had a chance! Uncle Rick cooked Sophie a s'more, and I think you can already guess that she loved it. And she became a sticky, gooey mess, which her Daddy refused to clean up. Jack wasn't too into it, but he did like feeding Sophie.

Getting her first taste.

Pulling the S'more apart to get to the good stuff. She ate the marshmallow first, and then the chocolate.

Jack feeding Sophie his unwanted marshmallow.

I love this picture. This ridiculous face started off a half-hour sugar high that consisted of tons of running around, and giggling everytime she touched a pine tree. Then she promptly crashed and went to bed!