Beach Lessons

We spent last week at Fripp with my family. When I got home, so many little thoughts kept sneaking into my head so I started writing again...

1. Sand follows you home as the tiniest reminder of memories.

2. My best friends are related to me.

3. Sleeping in the bed with my boys is both precious and painful.

4. Kids will poop on the beach. In. Their. Bathing Suit.

5. Seashells look different in a small 3 year old hand.

6. When even one person is missing, the beach house is too quiet.

7. Not having cell service is sometimes a blessing.

8. Dodgeball can be a contact sport and, according to Taylor, requires stretching.

9. A group of well-organized teenage girls can beat a group of well-jocked men. See number 8.

10. Rummicube is different without Nana.

11. Lollipops and jello are appropriate breakfast foods.

12. When served correctly, goldfish can be served as an appetizer.

13. Comfort sometimes comes just in seeing someone's face.

14. The grill was worth it...thanks guys.

15. Just when I think I know my family, we go back to Fripp and my eyes are opened.

16. Quite simply, love is family.

Blood, Sweat and Tears...

Actually just sweat...but Sweat, Sweat, Sweat just doesn't have the same ring to it. Our car has been a disaster for the better part of 3 months and since May is the new December, I just haven't had time or felt like tackling a task this large. Until today. Not sure what came over me, but I'd had enough.

I got the boys down for their nap and headed outside with my "supplies" which consisted of a bucket of warm water, an old rag, and toothpicks. Yes, you read toothpicks. I really wanted to get in the tiny cracks. I started by cleaning out the "stuff" first...

STUFF IN THE CAR
~1 half eaten sucker
~2 matchbox cars
~3 church bulletins
~2 Sharpie markers
~My driver's license (I didn't even know it was missing. oops)
~2 water bottles (half full)
~2 empty water bottles
~a beach towel
~my name tag for work (again, didn't realize it was missing...)
~4 books from Chick-fil-A

We literally could have gone camping for a week out of that car. We would have food, water, toys, a means by which to put our initials in our clothes to make sure nobody accidentally picked them up at the bath house, a towel (also for the bath house), reading material, and a prayer list.

It took me THREE hours. I cleaned and conditioned the seats, vaccummed, Armor All'd all the other stuff, washed the outside, scrubbed the tires...

2 hours later it rained. Mother Nature sure has a way of stickin' it to me.

Listen-Close Lexicon Part Two

A while back, I wrote about some funny words the boys mispronounce. I do correct them (sometimes), but sometimes I just smile. My brother used to say "thog" for frog and "thun" for fun and he turned out perfectly fine. Well mostly fine...


Tottee= Cocky "Mama, I gave Tottee a pound!" or "Tell Tottee to stay over der"

Pitle= Pickle

Tattitude= attitude "I don't have a tattitude, I'm a nice boy"

Diet Tote= Diet Coke "Mama, give me a sip of yours diet tote"

Yours= your See Diet Tote...They both always say yours instead of your..no idea.

Doat= goat "Tum here doat. Tum here nudder doat" Bryson and Liz took the boys to the zoo and they visited with the doats for a while.

Untle= Uncle "Untle Bryson, Untle Tater, Untle Barry, Untle Andy..."

Titty Tat= Kitty Cat

Gotta tell you the whole story about the last one...months ago, we were leaving the neighborhood only to see the neighbor's cat perched on a fence post. I stopped and pointed this out to the boys...Jackson's response was, "Mama, I love a titty tat." Nearly wrecked the car. I hope this doesn't predict the kind of women he will bring home to Mama. One can only pray...starting now.

Spring

The 10 people that actually read this blog have been bugging me for an update...so instead of just writing about what's be going on, I'll just show you.

April was...

EASTER...




Playing Baseball in the yard...


Learning how to play hopscotch...


Pictures in a tree...







Bug catching...



Marching for Babies...





May to follow....

The Greatest Show on Earth

We took the boys to the circus for the first time Sunday, March 15th. We were scheduled to go opening night, but I had the flu and was too busy laying in bed planning my funeral. Anyhoo, Mom and I hit the Wal-Mart before we went and found these $3 light sticks and two boxes of candy (which I smuggled in inside the diaper bag on the advice of a church friend no less, hehehe).

Tradd loved it...Jackson? Not so much. I literally was having to restrain him for the first 15 minutes. He was standing on my lap, pointing to the top of the arena crying, "Mama, let's go home now!" Lee and I switched boys and he settled in with Daddy.




The circus hasn't changed since I was a kid...still the lions, motorcycles in the big ball, and the elephants. Yes, the elephants made a lasting impression on the boys. For the next few days, when someone asked them about the circus, they promptly reported, "We saw big elephant poop." Great.

Most of you know that I don't have a sister...I have sister-in-laws, best friends, and a wonderful mother, but no sis. My replacements? My cousins, Ally, Nicole, Elizabeth, and Lauren-Summers are my sisters. We share an unusual closeness...a certain sisterness stirs around us. We have laughed together until we've peed our pants, have held each other when tears came, and have stood witness to each other's lives. They know my heart inside and out...actually they are my heart.



As with every mother, the day my children were born is burned into my mind. I remember each moment and each face...especially one. The day before I was to have the boys, I spoke with my cousin Nicole over the phone (she lived in Las Vegas at the time) and we were both upset that she would not be in South Carolina when the boys were born. I remember crying together on the phone...happy and sad all at the same time. The next morning, I tried to call her, but she didn't answer. Little did I know that after we got off the phone that day she bought a plane ticket to come home. She flew through the night...for me. When I saw her face peek around the curtain, I was overwhelmed. A perfectly wonderful day was made more perfect because she was there.



2007 brought Nicole her own miracle. This time we shared her pregancy over the phone. All the while, I was saving my pennies to buy a plane ticket for October. There was absolutely no way I was going to miss her moment. In July, Nicole traveled home to go Fripp Island on our family vacation...and we joke now that Hudsen was determined to be a Carolina Girl from the beginning. Hudsen Blease Hold was born July 14th, 2007 after spending only 27 weeks in the womb. She weighed a mere 2 pounds 7 ounces.


Hudsen spent the next 58 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She benefited from technolgy and a staff of nurses and doctors that were remarkable. To give back, Nicole has decided to join in the effort to raise money for the March of Dimes. No one is working harder than the March of Dimes to understand the cause of prematurity and birth defects. Premature birth touches half a million babies and their families every year.

On April 25th, I will walk with my sister and her miracle. The "March for Babies" walk that we will be participating in, offers hope by raising funds for lifesaving research, education and innovative programs that offer solutions for babies born too soon or with birth defects. We would love for you to walk with us as we honor Hudsen and babies like her who are simply born too soon. Please visit www.marchforbabies.org/hudsensbigbrothers to sign up to walk with us or to help us reach our fundraising goals.

One Last Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday! Love Letter: Month 36

Dear Jackson and Tradd,

Today at 1:09pm I was standing in line at a concession stand. You were huddled with Daddy in section 12 trying to stay warm...I wanted to be with you at that exact moment, but I missed it. Today was your third birthday and we took you to your first Carolina Baseball game of the season (certainly not your first game...that was 33 months ago). We wanted to do something special with you two, but I wanted to hold your hands when 1:09 and 1:10 came to close my eyes and think back to the first time I ever laid eyes on you.

Your daddy and I did have our moment though. After we finally ate our lunch and made our way far, far away from section 12-where the sun doesn't shine- we settled into new seats in the sunshine. You climbed into our laps and in minutes you were both fast asleep. So there we sat holding you like we did that first day...as warm as we could get you and as close to our bodies as possible. We talked about what we were doing at that very moment 3 years ago...by now it was almost two o'clock. Daddy said I was just out of the operating room and he had just walked out to introduce you to everyone. We talked about how you have transformed physically from 5 pounds to 30, from inches to feet...but mostly how you have transformed our hearts. We do not deserve you. You two have changed the way that we love each other. Everytime I look at you I see him...so in loving you I am loving him more. As a side note, your Daddy has become this big ball of mushiness since you were born so I had to change the subject before either of us started crying right there in the stadium.

Next year, I will hold your hands at 1:09 and 1:10, but after today I will stop and hold your daddy's hand, too. And we will remember together...

Happy Birthday, Sweet Angels.

Love,
Mama

i heart picnics

One day last week (when we thought spring was here only to realize it was a tease) the boys and I had a picnic in the backyard. We packed a lunch of turkey sandwiches and climbed into "the clubhouse". We listened to the birds and planes and waited patiently for the rabbit,who occasionally lives in our yard, to make an appearance. We talked about their upcoming birthday, for which Jackson told me he wanted a rainbow, and I answered the question that hangs over the three of us alldayeveryday24/7, "Mama, where's Daddy?" To which I answer, "Work"..."Yeah, he's at wurt" one replies. We soaked in the sunshine and the company. Picnics should be a part of every single day...

Open Your Eyes

This is what happens when I try to take pictures of two "almost" three year olds...I eventually just gave up.

Love Letter: Month Thirty-five

Dear Tradd and Jackson,
A few days ago you turned thirty-five months old. Don't worry...I never say it in months when people ask me because I know it would sound kind of freakish, I always round up to three. Three years old sounds so old compared to thirty-five months. It's weird that parents do this. Before I had you I never understood why parents spoke in months..."How old is your baby?"..."Oh, he's 16 months old." And there I would stand counting on my fingers trying to figure out how old the kid was. To be honest, I found it quite annoying...until I too became a month counter. Funny the things we say we will never do until....well, we do.

Your little brains have been working overtime for the past few months. You are trying to create conversations and are very determined to "Do myself, Mama!" I am also amazed at your memories. We will do something one time and a few weeks later something will come up in one of your conversations and you go right back to it like it just happened yesterday. I hope that stays with you because I do not remember much about my childhood. I have these little pockets in my mind that are very vivid, but it often takes someone reminding about a popular toy or TV show to jog me. It's funny because when I was growing up, everyday I thought about being a Mommy and now that I am one, everyday I think about being a kid.

One of the things that I've been thinking a lot about lately is what you will remember about your childhood. Will you remember that our house was spotless? Will you remember that dishes never piled up in our sink? No...you will remember your daddy wrestling with you on the floor of your bedroom and playing puzzles with mama on the kitchen floor. You will remember saying the blessing together at our table holding hands and building tents out of bed sheets. One of the hardest things about being home with you is giving myself permission to just BE with you. One day, when you both leave for college, I will sit in a house with spit-shined floors and clean dishes and wish for hand prints on the windows and dried food on the table. I will have plenty of time for a perfect house...now I just want a perfectly happy one.

Love,
Mama

WARNING

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE. READ NO FURTHER IF THE WORD "NUT" OFFENDS YOU. OH, AND PLEASE FORGIVE TRADD.

Scene: Tradd lays naked on the changing table as I prepare to diaper him and put on his jammies. His tiny hand rests "down there"....

Tradd: Mom, my nut.

Me: Your what?

Tradd: MY NUT (Louder and with great expression)

Me: Son, that's your testicle.

Tradd: No. It's my nut, Mom.

Me: Ok...just don't touch it.

These are the conversations I have to have...
and they are 3.
Folk, this is going to get interesting.

Snow Day

Snow.
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.
Long Nap.
A perfect day.

A "short" Walk Down Memory Lane

Well, after two years, I finally did it. I ordered pictures of the boys off Shutterfly. I know you are thinking, "Big deal", but I need you to realize that these are the first pictures I have EVER ordered. EVER. This is how pathetic I am...and I only felt the pressure because Shutterfly was going to cancel my 600+ prepaid pictures if I didn't order before February. So 418 pictures later and I have only gotten through May of 2007. It's not looking good.

Anyhoo, the point in me telling you this is that after I had the pictures arranged in the photo album the four of us sat down on the couch and walked the boys through their short little lives. Here are a few of their responses...

"Look at that sweet baby"

"That's me, Mama?" (To which I said yes to both boys because I truly can't tell)

"Daddy holds me, Mama?"

"Where's me?"

As I sat on the couch between my two precious boys, I thought of how many times we will look at these pictures before they have children of their own. And how one day I will be showing this same book to their wives and children. And by then the walk down memory lane will be wonderfully long.

Humpy Dumpy by Tradd

No More Monkeys Jumping on the BED!

They would NOT go to sleep today at naptime...this is what they were doing instead. Everytime I would say, "Lay Down" they would crack up and fall into a heap on the bed. These are the moments I'm glad I don't miss.

The Listen-Close Lexicon: Part One

Your personal dictionary to understanding my kids...


Tum On- Come On; As in "Tadd, Tum on...Mama tumming."

Tumming- Coming (see Tum On)

Lub- Love; "Mama, I lub you."

Yetters- Letters; "Yetter P...Yetter N...Yetter 5...Yetter 7" (We're working on it.)

Titers- Stickers; "I got a titer at stool!"

Stool- School (see Titers)

Belly Laugh

This was our discussion over lunch at the park today...

Tradd: Mommy, noise?

Me: What noise, buddy?

Tradd: Oh....Me. Toots.

Love Letter: Month Twenty-nine

Dear Tradd and Jackson,
It's 6:00 am and I'm sitting in the quiet waiting for you to wake up...I couldn't sleep anymore. I have always loved the mornings with you. When you were brand new, I'd sit on the couch in the den feeding you, believing that I was the only person in the world awake...I remember waiting for the news to come on...AT 5:00 AM. Nowadays you sleep all night and sometimes I have to wake you up! It must be the way your hair styles itself during the night or your eyes, sleepy swollen, greet me with, "Hey, Mama!" that I just can't resist. Your Daddy and I race to your room when we hear your stirring just to be the first to see you. Earlier this week, we converted your cribs to the "toddler beds". I'm not really sure how this is going to work out because you get in and out a hundred times before settling in...I have found you in the same bed five times already.

In the past few months, I have witnessed you slowly becoming little boys. You love all things living. Birds, caterpillars, ants...although we have had to show you how to hold caterpillars without squishing them. You have also really started to love Max and Molly, our dogs. I'm not sure how they feel about this new found affection because you often try to ride them like horses. I should add that "Max and Mony", as you call them, are also sleeping quite soundly at night. The main reason I couldn't sleep last night is because Max was lost. Your Daddy let him out last night and he never came back. He drove and drove and walked and walked, but no Max. Part of me thought that perhaps Max had had enough and was off to find a new family. Maybe just a nice older couple who would never recognize his uncanny resemblance to a strapping equine that you so clearly see. I laid awake most of the night drafting the flyers to be posted and the friends and family we would call to aide in the search. At 5:00 this morning, we found Max on the back porch. I guess he likes to see you first thing in the morning, too.

Your favorite toys right now are "tars and trucks". I watch you manuver these tiny toys over and around and under every surface of this house and wonder who taught you to make the sounds that cars make. It takes you a good ten minutes to move from one room to another because you can't figure out how to carry five cars at one time....two in each hand and one held to your chest by your forearm is what seems to be working. You will undoubtedly drop one or two of them along the way...and your response, "Oh, dosh" and then you try again.

One thing that I have found in this journey of motherhood is that I pray all day long. When you are trying out a new word, I thank God that I am here to hear it. When I'm fishing a matchbox car out of the toilet, I'm so thankful that it's me that gets to go elbow deep in the big potty. When you have dumped all of your goldfish snack in the floor and are running through them in your tennis shoes to see just how small you can crush them, I close my eyes and pray for patience as I put you in time-out and fetch the broom. And you may not believe me, but all of that happened just yesterday before lunch.

love,
mama

Time-out Tuesday

When I started my last school year in August of 2005, I had only known that I was pregnant for about two weeks. I was beaming with excitment so you can imagine that it was one of the very first things I shared with my new crop of students. And of course, that meant that they all went right home to tell their parents that their teacher (of one day) was pregnant. One of my students told her family that I was pregnant that night after the first day of school. Hearing this, her dad simply said, "She's having twins." Now keep in mind that I didn't find out that I was having twins until the middle of September...this was the beginning of August.

It was only after I found out about the twins that they shared this story with me. We laugh and joke about it whenever we see each other now, but it's that just crazy? Well, the whole reason for me sharing that with you is because at the end of the year they gave me a little book called "Hugs for New Moms". I've kept it on my night stand and sometimes I'll pick it up and flip through...today I happened to flip through and this is what the page I landed on read.....

When motherhood is draining the best of you and you feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped for the responsibilties of caring for your family, look up and remember that I'm your ever-present helper!

Come to Me, and I'll refresh you and recharge your emotional, physical, and spiritual batteries. You'll find that with My help you can accomplish amazing things you could never do alone.

Energizing you,
Your All-Powerful God

-from Psalm 121:1-2; Matthew 11:28; Philippians 4:13

Sweet Tooth

Lately I have an insatiable sweet tooth. I have always loved all things sweet, but folks this tooth has taken on a mind of it's own. I guess I had not allowed myself to go there for so long that when I did all hell broke loose.

One week I was hooked on McDonald's chocolate sundaes...I literally found myself volunteering to go to the pharmacy for that prescription that just had to be picked up. TONIGHT. I would then drive two miles out of the way to the McDonalds, have time to eat the sundae while in line at the pharmacy, and drive home happy. Lee never suspected a thing. And one night they ran out of little plastic cups (probably because they had never sold so many sundaes in one week before) and they had to serve me in a to-go coffee cup. Turns out Karma is real. And she works at McDonalds in Three Fountains.

One week it was Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. My mom never really bought sugary cereals growing up, so since discovering this one I've gone completely mad. This stuff is like a drug...I mean, I even thought about pouring the milk directly into the box to avoid messing up a cereal bowl which only holds four good bites anyway.

Perhaps the best thing that happened to me during this rampage was stumbling upon this recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie. It's not something I would just make to have around the house, Oh no...that would be way too deliberate. I was actually inviting people over for dinner just so I could make this for dessert. It's sick...I know.


Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell*
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped pecans (I think this adds to much "healthy" so I just leave this out)
Serve with ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven 325 degrees F.
Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high until foamy.
Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter.
Stir in morsels and nuts and spoon into pie shell.
Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm.
Recipe from Nestle Classic Recipes, 2003
* If using frozen pie shell, use deep dish style and thaw completely. Bake on baking sheet and increase baking time slightly.




If I invite you over for dinner say in the next six months or so wear your fat pants.

Time-Out Tuesday

Every Tuesday I'll be sharing all things FAVORITE! Mine, my boys, my friends...so many times I come across things that I'd love to share so here goes nothin'!


I bought this book, Llama Llama Red Pajama, for my boys about a year ago and it quickly became their absolute favorite! The pictures are fabulous and the rhyming words encourage my boys to "read with Mama". Although not as well know as other children's book authors, Anna Dewdney, is famous in our house! Her latest look, Llama LLama Mad at Mama, is just as wonderful as this one. If you have little ones, they will love it and if you don't, it makes a great gift to go along with a bedtime lovie. EnJoY!

And so I'm back....

from outer space...go ahead you know the words, sing it with me now....

Why must I break from blogging? Every time I feel like I have to say "I'm sorry" and "I'll promise to do better", then I'm good for a little while and then BOOM! Life happens again and I'm out. So I'll say it again for the 10's of thousands, I mean 10 people who read this...sorry. it won't happen again. i'll promise to do better.

Our complete and undivided attention has been (for the last month) focused on getting our house ready to go on the market. We needed to do some updating (Read: ditching the brass knobs and hinges on every drawer/cabinet in this house) and touch-up painting (Read: actually just pretty much had to repaint the entire house because our boys have been working overtime the past two years to "leave their mark"). All of this and about 1,000 other things that needed to be done have left us tired and stressed, but as of last Thursday we are up FOR SALE! We don't have another house or even a plan, but we will have to sell before we can buy anything so here goes nothing. We'll be bunking at my mom and dads when/if we do sell...just in time for summer by the pool. Good timing.

The boys are great...better than great actually (what is that called?). It's 11:34 pm- I can't think of a better word.

I think about things to blog about all the time, but a lot of time these "things" have nothing to do with the boys. I guess I feel confined to write about them because of the name of this blog. Not anymore. Do you remember that song "I'm gonna sing when the spirit says sing"? I'm gonna do that- only with blogging.

Just call me Martha, Please...

When I meet people for the first time, they sometimes ask "Is Misty your real name or is it short for something?" I always politely respond that yes, Misty is in fact my first name and then I ask them, "What name did you have in mind that it could possibly be short for?" The most common response.....Melissa. Huh?

Well, after you read this post, you will completely understand why my new answer will be, "My name is short for MARTHA."

I had this bright idea around Thanksgiving to make cookies for the boys class party. Of course, no ordinary cookie would do so I scoured the internet and found the cutest Turkey cookies. They aren't made of turkey or anything, they just look like little gobblers! The kids loved them and nobody choked on the candy corn.



So when Valentine's Day came around, I remembered the heart shaped cookie cutter that my cousin Nicole had given me for Christmas and my little baking heart was happy! Again, I hopped on the internet, but I didn't find anything super cute. However, all the really fancy looking cookies used Royal Icing. So off I went, recipe in hand...5 hours and only TEN cookies later...this is all I could do. And they didn't even taste good.



Ok- two cookie attempts, one good..one not so good. And now it was Easter. I ditched the whole cookie thing...I don't even like cookie that much. Unless they are Oreos or Girl Scout Peanut Butter Patties. Oh, and I need milk. Anyway, I decide to bake and decorate cupcakes. So...you guessed it, I found a recipe and pictures online and VOILA! The Easter basket cupcake was a hit! I think I'm gonna stick to cupcakes.



Maybe this will help a few of you other Moms out there come next school year, if you ever need the recipes I'll help you find them again online....

Love,
Martha

Love Letter - Month Twenty-fiveish

Dear Tradd and Jackson,
YOU ARE TWO!!! We made it...in some ways it literally seems like yesterday that I was snuggling two tiny babies and in some ways it seems like you've always been a part of "us". I've been working on a special gift for you over the past few weeks that required that I look back through all of the pictures that we have taken of you. In one picture from the day you were born I saw myself, a new mother bright-eyed and smiling, kissing one of you for the first time...if I close my eyes I am right back there. Surrounded by a dozen people buzzing about your weight, your length and how much you look like your Daddy...things were happening all around me, happy things, but my mind was silent. I remember closing my eyes and whispering "I love you" to that perfect child that I was holding..."instant love" is how it was described to me when I was pregnant. And it was.

But two years later when looking at that picture all that I could see was how I didn't even know you. I didn't know your voices, that are now so different to me that I know who is calling me without even looking. I didn't know your smells, fresh from a bath or having played outside in the dirt. I didn't know the way that Tradd would cut his eyes at me and grin, or the way Jackson would need me so desperately at bedtime. In that picture I see myself whispering "I love you", not knowing where or how to start, because loving someone is just that...something that you do. I look at that picture and realize how little I loved you. Since then this love between us has multiplied time and again...I can't wait to see how big this love will be.



You have become such little boys over the past few months. Making noises when you play with cars and going crazy in the car when we pass a "big truck". Playing outside in the dirt and picking up sticks to poke the ground...just what little boys do. You know all of your shapes and colors and letters (except V and X, but don't worry those two don't get used a lot anyhow. You will sit for hours if I just keep "weeding" stories. You have favorite books and favorite toys. Jackson, you will eat anything...Tradd, not so much. You have learned the word "mine" and we are trying to replace it with "ours". And that's another thing, you are not just "mine"...I share you with so many people that love you. Grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends...all loving you and helping to raise "our" boys. I guess it's true that you have always been a part of "us", even before you were here. We dreamed of you and prayed for you, and two years later we are loving you. How lucky.

Love,
Mama

Clearly NOT What Happened to Us

I've read about this happening when we found out we were having twins...

We have a crazy next 2 weeks, but I've got a good blog brewing in my head so stay tuned...

12 Simple Things

I just love the beginning of the year...so fresh and filled with possiblity. Everyone talking about diet and exercise, all the grocery stores pushing healthy food, every segment on the Today Show about "A Better You in 2008"...a time when everyone resolves to do better.

And I'm just gonna say it...

This is this the first year in I can't remember how long that not one of my resolutions is about weight loss and exercise.

One particular morning in the fall (read: my 30th Birthday), I woke up and weighed myself. I stepped off the scales, rubbed my eyes and "re"weighed myself. Surely these scales were not right...I mean I did buy them at Wal-Mart how accurate can they be? I stepped off a second time, this time positioning all four feet of the scale on tile because that had to be the reason for this inaccurate data. I stepped off defeated. I decided that day that I was going to do better...and it wasn't even January.

I have done better and for that reason I have been able to focus on other things about myself that I want to change this year...here they are in no particular order.

1) Wash my face before I go to bed every night...even if I've had a beer or two...

2) Use undereye creme to "diminish dark circles and lines"

3) Have the oil in my car changed more than twice

4) Remember people's birthdays...I suck at this. And I just remembered that Marissa's birthday was on the 11th...

5) Call Marissa and wish her a Happy Birthday albeit "belated"

6) Have a hard conversation with a friend that I should have had a long time ago

7) Order pictures from Shutterfly

8) Stay calm when that girl at the gym takes my spot in front of the fan

9) Pray more

10) Teach Tradd and Jackson to say "I love you"...and mean it

11) Tell Lee "Thank You" everyday for wanting me to be at home with our boys

12) Love a little deeper


Here is to hoping that all of your resolutions stick....and mine too. And this time, when you comment, can you please leave me your birthday and anyone else's that you think I might should know about. That would really help me out on #4. Love ya Bye.

Waiting

Tonight we had friends over for dinner. It was nothing fancy...just chili with the toppings, but it was a special night. We needed to see these friends TONIGHT because they are having their second baby girl on Thursday. I don't know if they remember or not, but they did the same with us just before I had the boys. I can't remember what we ate or the specifics of what we talked about, but I remember that when we left their house that night I was thinking how lucky we were to have friends that love us. I hope they felt that tonight when they left my house.... because we do love those two.

This time for my friend has been very different than the first time, from beginning to end. Instead of her watering breaking in the middle of the night, she will go to the hospital bright and early Thursday morning to be induced. So talking to her brought back so many feelings for me. There is a certain level of anxiety the comes with knowing when you will be going to the hospital to deliver. Did I pack underwear with no holes? Did I forget anybody on the "call" list? Are my toenails painted? Did I remember to tell Lee to water the pansies before we leave so that they will look good for the coming home pictures? Will "Hawaiian Orchid" pink match my nursing gown? These are the questions that were running through my head when I was where she is right now. Forget preparing to leave my job or making sure the bills were paid. Are you kidding? My mind was consumed with preparing myself for the birth and consequent stay at the hospital. I actually worked the Monday and Tuesday before I had the boys on Thursday, so I only had one day off before the big day. Good thing. Can you imagine the post-it note lists that could have accumulated if given one more day?

The funny thing is that when you are about to have your first baby (or babies as it were), those are the only things that you know to prepare for.

Not one minute before 1:09 pm on Thursday, February 23rd could I have prepared myself for the look on Lee's face when he saw that first baby out of my belly. Or the way my heart leapt when he left my side to check on them and hear that first cry. I never thought ahead to the recovery room, but I could never have prepared my heart to feel the way it did when my two brothers were the first faces I saw and we had time to be together just the three of us. I never thought ahead to what I would eat while I was there, but my Daddy did. He and Mama and Aunt Judy and Bruce cooked a three course meal and brought it to the hospital in coolers. I was so completely blown away by the entire thing....and you just can't prepare yourself.

I don't even think I wore underwear until the day I came home, so I really only needed one good pair. The call list was a bust. Called one person and then they called 10 so my whole list was useless. My toes did look good though...they just stayed that color until July. And the nursing gown? I ditched the gown and just wore the robe. Easier access.

Of course, my sweet friend is not a first time mom so her primary concern is for her other child and making sure that she is taken care of and feels a part of this. And I'm sure if we ever have another baby Tradd and Jackson will be who we spend time preparing and loving right up to the last minute. Funny how our focus changes huh? although I do need to ask Steph about her toes......



I love you Steph...can't wait to meet your little one.

When I'm a Little Old Lady

Another blog that I visit from time to time, Owlhaven, has written something that I think every mother of a little boy, or boys, should read...get out the kleenex... you can read it for yourself here.

I know I've been MIA lately. I'll do better. Promise.

Love Letter: Month Twenty...sorta

Dear Tradd and Jackson,
Well, I'm a little late with this letter to you, but I have a really good excuse. I was working out of town on the 23rd (and a few days after) without a computer and when I can home it was Halloween week! That's right...I said "week" because this Halloween thing is a big deal when you are a kid. As a child, Halloween lasted one night... you dress up, visit your neighbors, and bingbang suddenly your sack was filled with candy! But as your mama, I now realize it takes time...

I started months ago thinking of what the two of you could be for Halloween. We decided monkey costumes would be the perfect fit because, as of late, you have been "monkey see...monkey do". As soon as costumes came out I started scouring the stores for the monkey suits....but keep in mind that we need two. In the same size. And being the frugal mama that I am, I WILL NOT PAY FULL PRICE! As luck would have it I found the last two monkey costumes at BabyGap (on clearance, of course) and they were both in your size! It was meant to be!




Once the costume was out of the way I still had to help coordinate your class party (at which Jackson ate entirely too much food and need to unbutton his pants),




find time in the month the take you to the pumpkin patch to find that perfect pumpkin,




and take you to Boo at the Zoo!





Halloween has never been one of my favorite holidays, but watching you two laugh histerically at one another dressed as monkeys...that might just change my mind.




Love,
Mama Monkey

Bloggy Makeover

Soooo obviously I decided to take a little bloggy hiatis. What? With all the laundry and housework and cooking 3 squares and Christmas shopping, I've barely had time to breath......

And if you believe any of that you do not know me. I wash clothes on two occasions... 1- when Lee runs out of boxers or 2-when standing on the clothes hamper and jumping up and down will no longer contain the dirties. I do housework only when "my lady" doesn't come. I cook...never. And Christmas shopping? Please, it's only October I've still got months.

So don't you just love the new look? I feel so fancy. I actually won a blog makeover in an internet giveway. I worked with a company from California called Blue Yonder Blogs via e-mail and I think it turned out pretty neat.

Anyway, I still owe my boys a letter for month 20 and have decided that I'll post it after Halloween so I can include some pictures...

Now back to the laundry.

The Answers

I'm working on writing a book about twins...here is what I have so far...leave me a comment and tell me what you think...

Title: The Answers

Dedication: To Tradd and Jackson, I hope you both have a set of twin BOYS when you grow up. Much Love, Mama
To Mothers of Twins, good luck, you are gonna need it.

Manuscript:
Yes, they are twins. Yes, two boys. They are (x) months old. Yes, I do have my hands full. Yes, they are identical. Yes, I can tell them apart. How? Because I'm the mama. No, twins don't run in my family. No, we were not on fertility drugs. Yes, we do go through a lot of diapers. No, I do not want to be in your "twins club"...wait...do y'all drink at those meetings? Thank you, I know they are adorable.


The End



I'm pretty sure I've got a best seller on my hands.....

Love Letter: Month Nineteen

Dear Jackson and Tradd,

Jackson, did you just notice that I put your name first? I always say "Tradd and Jackson" and I wonder sometimes if you wish I would say your name first. Maybe I say it that way because they pulled Tradd out of my belly first? Or maybe because his name is shorter? I don't know...maybe you don't care right now, but I bet you will one day...and by then I will be so good at saying it both ways you won't even notice.

Today you are nineteen months old and I just can't believe it. This morning before Sunday School, when Daddy and I were telling you "Happy Nineteen Month Birthday", we counted up and you will be TWO in 5 short months! We just shake our heads because there are no words that we have found to slow all of this down.

We have been taking you to Sunday School (when you are not sick and when we are home!) and you love it. You play very nicely with the other children and that makes me happy. Blake and Carlin are in our class for the singing at the beginning and they help me keep you in your seat! Carlin is soooo funny because she really wants you to do the hand motions so she helps you every time. And every once and a while she just leans over and plants a big kiss on you! These two love you both very much (everytime I see them they immediately ask where you are) and we don't get you together near enough. Aunt Hope and I will promise to do better!

You are also loving your Mother's Morning out class. You have not cried one single time when I have dropped you off and only once when I picked you up, but I think that was because you didn't want to leave! When I come back to get you and you see my face, you smile so big and put your hands out to me. That makes me think that you finally know what love feels like too. You love your teachers, Ms. Melissa and Ms. Lisa, and when we are leaving you hug their necks tight. I feel safe leaving you with them because I know that they already love you. How could they help it?

This month you have started to "count" things...of course, Daddy and I have been counting around you for a while, but this month you gave "your" numbers voice. We first noticed it when you would stand on the ottoman in the kitchen and wait to leap into someone's arms. We've heard you both, "One, two, Threeeeeee!!" although it doesn't sound quite like that! And now when we are reading books you try to count things on every page...you will take your pointer finger and randomly point to things and after three it sounds like "duhh, duhh, duhh"...I'm pretty sure you've gotten all the way to 16.

While all of this makes us sound like the Cleavers, let me assure you that you two are not exempt from the occasional "flair up" as I like to call it. You are learning to share, learning how to wait, and learning that hitting is not how you show anger. I think that one of the biggest misconceptions about twins is that they are born knowing how to share. This is not the case, and although I do think that you have had to learn these things earlier perhaps, than others, you are still learning too. We have been trying "Time Out" with you and it seems to be working. You have already learned by the tones in our voices that you need to sit and NOT get up. I do have to laugh though, because usually the one not having to sit will find the one who is having to sit and join him on the floor. (In this picture, Jackson was in "time out") I guess you like to be together...even if it means being in trouble together. Trust me...this does scare me immensely for the future. Maybe going to different colleges wouldn't been so bad after all....



One of the clearest memories that I have of pregnacy was a conversation that I had with your Gigi. We had just found out that you were "two" not "one", and I just could not wrap my brain around how I was going to have enough love for both of you. How was I going to have enough energy to hold each of you when you needed me, to read with you alone sometimes, to make each of you feel like you were the best kid on the planet? She assured me that I would, although I sighed and shook my head. Now that I have you, I know she was right because that's just how it is with God's love too. He has enough energy to hold each of us all the time, not just when we need him; and He sits with me when I find time to read a devotion and somehow the words are perfect for just that moment; and He makes me feel like I am the best mama in the world...and I know that I will always be enough for you because of Him.

love,
Mama

What NOT to Wear

Don't you just love that show on TLC "What Not to Wear"? Really, these people are changing lives....one pair of "mom" jeans at a time. Tradd and Jackson have their own unique fashion sense. They love hats, of all kinds and with no regard to season; they love shoes, never matching and sometimes 15 sizes too big. They even throw on the occasional Hawaiian lei...just for that extra touch of WOW! No doubt about it, they definitely get their lack of fashion sense from Lee...he's still asking me if things match! Enjoy the slideshow...I hope it makes you giggle.

"Down and Out" at 30

I woke up 30 years old Saturday morning. I have never struggled with turning another year older. I've gladly helped some of my closest and dearest friends celebrate their 30th's this year. In fact, I've been to SIX 30th birthday parties in the last 6 months and let me just tell ya...it's all fun and games until it happens to you. It's strange because I don't feel a lot older, I just sound a lot older.

Saturday morning, as I limped into the kitchen to take my vitamins (limping because of the heels I wore Friday night that made my feet ache...another sign of "agedness"- and vitamins because old people need supplements...) I flipped on the Today Show for a little Saturday morning useless information. I heard Natalie Morales introducing the next segment which was on finding the right fitting bra AT ANY AGE. Turns out the first model was in her twenties wearing a teeny tiny tank top...she didn't need support as much as she did nipple control so they hooked her up with the perfect bra. The next model was in her thirties. AND THAT'S WHEN IT HIT ME...I had moved up to the next "category" overnight. This girl sounded just like me. She was suffering from, as I like to call it "down and out syndrome". If you have never breastfed you have no idea what this means, but you will...oh you will. She had just finished breastfeeding and needed help. They found her some $200 bra that fixed her problem. At this point, I am shaking my head and giving her my own advice through the tv.

Buy a bigger shirt and slap on a little lipstick. It draws the eye up.

I changed the channel after that so I have no idea what you are suppose to do when you turn 40. Guess I can only hope they will run that clip again in 10 years.

It's 11:50 and I should be in bed nursing this head cold, but instead I am feeling "blogger guilt" that I haven't told you a thing about the boys going to school! First of all, I know I'm their mama and all, but can I just tell you how cute they looked?! I'd forgotten about these shirts in the closet, actually I'd forgotten how to iron but that's a whole different post. Anyhoo, they were adorable...when I dropped them off they walked right into the classroom, took a seat at one of the tables, and waited patiently as the teacher's aide gave them a few goldfish crackers (you can get these two to do just about anything you want for food). I nonchalantly walked out of the room and left. I got in my car and for once I didn't know what to do with myself. Three hours later as I rushed back to pick them up (I figured out what to do with the time), I was greeted by a smiling teacher and two happy babies! She said that they were awesome...just what a first-timer wants to hear...


We also cut their hair for the first time the night before school started. You know we had been going back and forth on it and we just decided to do it. I held as Lee cut. I don't think I will ever forget sitting in our kitchen holding each boy while their Daddy gave them their first haircut. Little baby hair all over me and even in my mouth...Lee and I laughing nervously about what one wrong snip would look like...trying to tape ourselves with the video camera "handsfree"...and suddenly two little boys walking around our house.



AND finally, Elmo. We went tonight with the Shealys and Sturkies. Of course, Tradd and Jackson were more interested in going up and down the steps and helping everyone else eat their snacks, but they did enjoy seeing "Melmo".



Well, it's 12:10....today's my birthday. I'm thirty. I'm old...I should have been in bed hours ago....

Busy Weekend...Busy Week

We have had a busy few weeks! Lee and I went out of town two weekends ago with our great friends, Micky and Stephanie Sturkie. We stayed at Pawley's Plantation on Pawley's Island which was beautiful...it was such a relaxing weekend. We ate great food, the boys golfed, we went to the beach, and slept late!! We all came back rested and happy. After we came home, Steph and Micky found out that this new baby is a GIRL! We are so happy for them and can't wait to meet Chloe's sister!

This past weekend was, of course, Lee's favorite weekend of the year...Carolina football! He can barely contain himself. I wasn't going to go to the game, but my dad and stepmom called Friday to say that their plans had changed and they kept them for us. We are so thankful to have people close by to keep the boys for us!

The other part of our weekend/holiday was spent doing a few home improvements...something I love to do, but something that always takes way longer than I think! Lee got me a flat screen tv for my birthday (I'm not talking about that until later in the week...) so Micky and Steph came over to help mount it to the wall. It looks great and I love having a tv in our room (we've never had one). The other thing we worked on was our front porch. We painted the railing, front door and around the front door. We just spruced it up a bit and if I do say so myself it looks pretty darn good.

Now for the "busy week" part. The boys start Mother's Morning Out on Wednesday. I am really looking forward to seeing them go to "school" for the first time! I'll update later in the week to let you all know how that goes. AND we are so excited because we are going to see Elmo at the Colonial Center on Thursday. These two love Elmo so I'm anxious to see what they will think of a life-size version!

Well, check back with us this week for updated and pictures from school!

Love Letter: Month Eighteen

Dear Tradd and Jackson,
I've decided that once a month I am going to write a love letter to the the future "you", so that one day you can go back and read all about what your life was like. When you have kids of your own one day you will realize what I was doing all of the months before and could not keep this up until now....

You are beginning to look more like little boys and less like babies. I think your hair is what makes you look older all of the sudden. You both have been bald most of your lives and this is strange because Daddy and I both have thick hair. When you look back at pictures of yourselves I hope that you will not be mad at us for not cutting it. Just when I think I've gotten up the nerve,with scissors in hand, I can't do it....but it's coming very soon. I have to giggle when you wake up from your naps in the afternoon because you both look like distant relatives of Albert Einstein. Somehow, the way the light streams in your bedroom window and bounces off the thousands of stray hairs you still look like babies to me. That's why I can't cut it. I am trying to slow this process of growing up and if leaving those curls gives me even one more glimpse of you as babies, then the crazy hair stays.

You both have really started to play lately...by yourselves and together, but you like it best when we all play together. Every time I get in your play yard one of you immediately comes to sit on my lap. Usually you come to me with a book in hand(the "Bright Baby" books are your favorites)and you will sit with me as long as I will let you. It is in those moments, when I am trying to share my lap with both of you, that I am overwhelmed that I am your mama. And that we were lucky enough to have twins. I can not imagine just having one of you. People ask me all the time if y'all have a secret language between the two of you. Just once I'd like to have the nerve to say, "How should I know if it's a secret?" I do watch you playing together and you are communicating, but I am hoping it's in some early form of English because I was never good at when it came to foreign languages much less secret ones!

Neither of you are very interested in television and for that I am thankful. We want y'all to play like we did as kids, outside riding bikes until dark. However, there is one show that will stop you in your tracks when you hear the music. ELMO, or Melmo as you call him, is absolutely your favorite character. Maybe it's the way he talks or the way he repeats himself, but whatever it is..it mesmerizes you both. I even catch myself humming that tune...La la la la- la la la la- Elmo's World...

School started for all the kids this week and while Mommy does miss teaching, I am so thankful to be home with you. I guess I am still teaching, I've just got a much younger class! You both are doing very well with saying words and using sign language. The funniest thing that you have done lately is trying to sign "I love you". You both get your arm up like a chicken wing and point your whole hand down...more like a gang sign gone bad, but we are working on it.

As I am writing this, you are sleeping in the next room like angels. Y'all are great sleepers, sometimes sleeping 11 or 12 hours a night and then taking a 3 hour nap during the day. You have gotten use to sleeping in the same room and you rarely wake each other up. Secretly though, if your Daddy is out of town I will grab one of you and sneak into our bed. I love snuggling up to you and watching you sleep. I still creep into your room at night to cover you up and make sure you are comfortable. I am still whispering for you to stay my baby boys. Just stay.

Love,
Mama

Taking "frugal" to a whole new level

Last night I realized that the boys are in dire need of new pajamas! It's not that they don't have enough, they just don't have enough that fit. The only ones left in the drawer to choose from were the ones with feet that snap to the shirt. You know the "old fashinoned" kind that Carter's made cool again. Anyway, I'm sure you can see where this is going. With a few snips, I cut the feet out of those bad boys and viola! We can get at least another 3 months out of these things.

Sick babies and a Send Off

We spent the better half of last week tending to two sick babies. Lee left to go out of town Wednesday and as my luck would have it Jackson wakes up from his nap with a temperature of 104. I immediately gave him fever reducer and it came down. He was up most of the night flopping around my bed like a fish, but I was glad for the company. When Tradd woke up Thursday with fever too, I went ahead and made an appointment for that afternoon. It was their ears again. Tradd had both ears infected and Jackson just one. One more in the next month or two and we are headed for tubes.
Lee was sweet enough to cut his trip short and came home Thursday night late so that I could keep my lunch plans for Friday with my friends from Springdale. People ask me all the time if I miss teaching school and I do...but mostly I miss the people I worked with...and the kids, but it's different when you teach 5th grade because we are the end of the road. All of my old students are in middle school now, so when I go back to visit I don't know any of the kids. (Just a side note, my first class of students will graduate this year!) Anyway, it was good to catch up with all of them and just be at school a little bit.
Saturday we went to Presbyterian for Bryson's Fan Day. The boys had a ball, but it was HOT! We only got to see him for about 45 minutes. He is so good with the boys although one time he was clearly using them to bait the cheerleaders. Really, we are here to help, Bryson....
And finally Sunday. My sweet Anna (my best friend Cindy's oldest child) left for college. I guess I'm the closest thing she has to an older sister so she asked me to tag along. We had a surprisingly easy time unloading and getting her settled in. It brought back so many good memories of college life for me and Cindy and Jacob. We laughed a lot that day, but in the end we all left a piece of our hearts standing on the sidewalk in Charleston. I'm so proud of her and I know she will love it there.

Biggest Summer Yet

I've heard it said before, "The bigger the summer vacation, the harder the fall." I'm not sure if they are talking about the actual season of Fall or if they are referring to the depression that one falls into as soon as they realize that last trip of the summer is over. Nonetheless, this has been our "biggest" summer yet. Since I decided to take a little hiatis from blogging...since February....let me explain.
Every year our first trip of the summer is to Bryson City, NC for Decoration...or "Declaration" as Lee called it for years until my keen ear heard the slip and corrected him. For those of you not well versed in "country", Decoration is another word for family reunion or at least it is in my family. We go Memorial Day weekend and my parents rent this huge log cabin called Black Bear Lodge. We cookout with family, tube down Deep Creek, and spend time together.
In June, Lee and I went to Edisto with Cindy and Jacob Wilkerson. We had so much fun on the boat (the first time we'd had it in the water in 2 years!) We had amazing weather, especially for our boat trip to Charleston. While there we both celebrated our anniversaries...we share our wedding date, June 23rd.
The last week/weekend in June Lee and I went to the Dominican Republic with our great friends, JP and Amanda. We had such a great time doing absolutely nothing! The highlight of our trip was Lee playing water polo. When you see the pictures you will know why....
July found us back at the beach with both of our families. My family made our annual trip to Fripp Island for the 4th. The boys loved the sand and the water! We really had to watch Jackson because he had no fear of the water. The cool thing about Fripp is that it is a very wide beach and tide pools form about half way to the ocean. This was perfect for the boys because they could play in the water without the waves. We came home from Fripp for 2 weeks and then we went to Surfside with Lee's entire family. This is the first time that I have ever been with Lee's whole family and I really loved it. Lee worked that week in the mornings because Myrtle Beach is in his territory. And again the boys loved to play in the sand and surf and had a lot of fun with their cousins!
Our summer was wonderfully full and wonderfully exausting...time to rest.....wait, football season starts in 3 weeks.......

Back in the Saddle

Here we go again...I'm trying to be a better blogger. I've been inspired this time by my friend Ashley Jackson (I have a link to her blog). I don't know why it's been so hard for me to keep this up. I mean I check my e-mail everyday, and I have a few favorite blogs that I visit almost daily. Why is this so hard for me? I think I've been putting too much pressure on myself...not wanting to bore you with the regular day to day stuff that happens around here and that's when it hit me. That's what I love the most about the blogs that I read...their author's share the daily stories that compose their lives and I love it. So now that the pressure is off I'll start telling you what's been going on with us...I'll start tomorrow.

Wow! How slack am I? I haven't written since Halloween...and to be honest the only reason I am writing now is because people keep asking we when I'm going to write again! People actually read this stuff...My new year's resolution is to be a better blogger and write in the boys baby books. I have decided to make my resolutions on February 1st, because most people have already fallen off the wagon and I'm just getting started!
So much has changed in our little world since Halloween...the boys are close to walking, but haven't quite gotten the nerve to "let go", they have lots of teeth (Jackson has 4 on bottom 2 on top and Tradd has 2 and 2),they are sleeping through the night, and Tradd is dancing! Life is good!
I can not believe that we are going to be celebrating their first birthday this month. As I look back all I can do is shake my head....to say that the year has flown by has been an understatement. I was looking back at pictures from the day they were born and I'm blown away even now...I guess it's that they change to drastically that first year. I mean they are dancing...and so is my heart.

Happy Halloween!

Good Night/Morning

You know those hateful questionnaire e-mails that you get at least once a week? The ones that ask you to answer 30 questions or so about "interesting" stuff that your friends are dying to know about you? "What time is right now? What are you listening to that is driving you crazy? What color are your underwear?"

Well, dear reader, it is 2:22AM and I am listening to my children cry. They were sleeping like angels until about 20 minutes ago when one of them woke up. I am trying to be a good mother and follow the advice in the "the book"...I changed both diapers, reinserted their pacifiers, and laid them back down so that they can learn to...(what does "the book" call it???) oh yeah, "learn to take themselves back down". Tonight the book is wrong.

I am tired right now, but I can't sleep. I have to keep going in to their room to pat them on the back and tell them that we are indeed still in the house. It's not working. They are crying in chorus now. Lee on the other hand can sleep right through this. I am going to convince myself that that is a compliment. See, he thinks I am such a good mother that I can handle this all by my self! Now don't think that I am resentful. I can't tell you how many nights I have tried to play possum just to give him that middle of the night compliment.

On a lighter note, we are all doing well. Jackson has joined his brother and is crawling. I chase them around all day to try and spare our furniture from teeth marks. The honeymoon is over....no more playing in one stop on the floor surrounded by toys. They can move from room to room with ease. One funny story...yesterday, Tradd had pulled himself up on the rungs of the high chair. He was just hanging out while I washed out the bottles and all of the sudden he begins to cry. The poor thing. His pajamas were no match for the wax on our kitchen floor...he was in a full blown split. After I made sure he had not damaged any thing, I couldn't stop laughing.

Wait? What is that? Silence? 2:47AM.....well, I guess the book was right this time. I wonder if it will last the rest of the night...Oh, yeah and my underwear are white.

And We're Off...

Hard to believe it...our babies are crawling! I've watched in anticipation each day as they've tried out new techniques for moving from one place to the next. I'm told that all babies are different when it comes to when they crawl and how they do it. Our progression has gone something like this...first, "steamrolling". Rolling over toys, each other, and sometimes they would throw in a sequence of multiple rolls to show off. Next, they were up on all fours for a few minutes then immediately went back to "skydiving" (that's what I call it when they lay on their stomachs with arms and legs flailing). Then came the ever popular "worm"...and to think that they had no idea that they had tackled one of the hardest dance moves of the 80's. And finally today, Tradd pulls off the real deal. He starts moving one leg in front of the other as if he knew how to do it all along and has just been dragging it out to amuse me...don't fret over Jackson, he'll follow right behind his brother...I think he is just still listening to my quiet whispers at night when I beg them not to grow up....

p.s. Jackson is the one making the funny face...Tradd is the other...

First Football Games

Fall has finally arrived and in the Burton house that means FOOTBALL! For those of you who don't know, Lee is a huge Carolina fan. Yes, we went to Clemson (and that's where we met so you think that would mean something, but his blood runs garnet and black and thus so does mine...and Tradd's and Jackson's.
Their first football game, however, was not of the Gamecock variety, but rather to see their Uncle Bryson at Presbyterian College. We packed up half the house and headed to Clinton, SC for the first game of the season August 26th. We tailgated with Mom, Dad, Mimi, Pops and Uncle Taylor before the game. The babies love to be outside, so tailgating is a treat for them. The atmosphere at PC on gameday does remind me a lot of Clemson on a MUCH smaller scale, but that adds to the charm. The field where we tailgate is dotted with hundred year old trees and is a stone's throw away from the stadium. During half time we usually mosey back to the car for a cold drink and a snack (you don't need a ticket to get back in here)...after the game we walk down on the field to give Bryson a sweaty hug. PC Football will certainly be a part of Tradd and Jackson's childhood.
They also went to their first Carolina game last weekend. We met up with our friends Cindy and Jacob (Aunt Cindy and Uncle Jacob to the boys!) and again had a great time. My plan was to tailgate with everyone and then bring the boys home when the game started and traffic died down...but Cindy ended up not going into the game and we sat out with the boys. It wasn't the same tailgate that I'm used to.....it was better.

We have teeth!

TEETH!!! We've been cutting these bad boys for two months now! Jackson's bottom two are in and sharp as razors...Tradd only has one. (I guess just because he was born first doesn't mean he'll do everything first!) The baby food is going Ok...sometimes they are more interested than others. They both know how to spit it out and have been practicing their aim. I have actually thought about wearing a bib myself because I get just a dirty as they do!
Lee and I just returned from a cruise on Monday the 11th. I guess you could call it a "business trip" because we went with Lee's work people, but I only heard them talk shop a few times. We had a great time - maybe a little too soon for me where the babies are concerned, but we both had our moments and talked about them constantly.
We had their six month pictures taken a few weeks ago and they are online at www.bridgetclarkephotography.com You will need to go into client galleries and find our last name. Our password is 08272006. Tell me what you think! Love to you all!

The First Half

I must be crazy...I've decided to start a blog in my "free time". I didn't even know what a blog was until our friend Ross Shealy started one a year or so ago (I'm sure they've been around for years now). I would stop by sporadically to read his postings and quite enjoyed it. Granted, my blog will not read of current news stories or politics, but rather will play host to my rambling about my new career choice...a stay at home mommy to two of the cutest boys this side of the Mississippi. I am asked all the time "How do you manage with two?" Well, here it goes. The truth.

So many of you are out of town and as much as we'd like, we do not have the chance to talk every day so I thought a blog would be a perfect place to keep you abreast of which veggie we are on this week and just how many diapers I change each day. Just kidding...Just want to share the funny stuff (Although sometimes changing a diaper is the funny stuff). This blog is for my brothers, my cousins who live away, our out-of-town friends, and anybody who wants to share in the raising of these precious boys.

Like I said, I've never done this before so go easy on me...