Heard Around the House

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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.