Mickey and Minnie and my babies 2nd birthday!

Better late than never....

We had a Mickey and Minnie Mouse birthday party for our little babies the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  We had a 2nd birthday party in December and had AWESOME weather for the SECOND year in a row!  I think God likes smiling on these two.

The day was filled with great family, good friends and decent food :).  For once, I had enough food at a birthday party for our kids.  Molly's first birthday, my sweet friend and then neighbor, Jennifer, spent the entire party making more sandwiches.  Her second birthday was similar in fate, and her third was maybe a bit better...and the babies first birthday Rob was somewhat annoyed with me that he didn't get anything to eat.  Hey, gotta get it while the gettin's good, right?  Maybe I'm learning how to determine how much food to have...it helps to keep a list of who is actually coming :).  Who says you can't teach a old dog girl new tricks??

Anyway, for my memories sake, here are pictures galore.  I love you Marlin and Madeline.  I absolutely cannot imagine this crazy life without you two.  Live out loud, babies.  Dance like no one is watching.  Never be afraid to fail...reach for the stars...Daddy and I love you and will always be here for you.

Happy 2014!!

Holy smokes, it's FEBRUARY 2014.  (I actually started this post in January).  Do you remember Y2K?  Seems so long ago...and just like yesterday!  We've been super busy with birthdays and the holidays.  I lost my camera at the Christmas tree farm for two weeks and when I finally found it there were over 500 pictures that needed downloading.  I am soooo sooo grateful for the honest person who turned it in and for the honest people that held if for me until I called to see if they had it!!  The pictures I thought I lost were of the babies 2nd birthday party, their actual birthday-day at school, Molly's Christmas show at school and the Christmas tree farm (which is now our tradition since this was year 2!).  Can't begin to express how grateful I was when I called them and they had it.  So, yeah, my babies are two.  And talking in sentences.  And running.  And being toddlers.  And talking about using the potty.  And started sleeping in toddler beds last Monday (1/27/14).  I can't hardly remember our family before diapers.  It's crazy.  Time passes us by so quickly.  I used to think that was so cliche until I had kids and could literally SEE them growing right before my eyes.

I don't know how to write a post without bullets...honestly, I don't think I even speak or think in anything other than bullets...

• Molly will be 4 next week.  She's such a grown little person lately and still such a baby at the same time.  I signed her up for Pre-K today.  Wow...if the milestones want to slow down, I'm good with that.
• Christmas this year was a tiny bit over the top.  Every year since we've had the honor of helping Santa, I always get to Christmas Eve and look at Rob and we lament that I didn't get enough.  This year, we held several gifts back and have enough for Valentine's Day and Easter, too.  OOPs.  
• American Express loved me in December.  (See above)
• Thank goodness we were quickly back to the budget in January...
• Best gift from Santa....the roller coaster.  I totally thought it would be an ER trip in the making, but, have decided otherwise since we've had it.  It's not nearly as crazy as I'd imagined...but, it is as big of a hit with them as I'd imagined.  
• However, we no longer have a dining room...but who needs one anyway, right?
• I'm so incredibly thankful for this crazy life, even though I bitch constantly about my lack of sleep.  Who knew that you'd figure out how selfish you are once you had kids?  Man, I do love to sleep.  Any tips on becoming a morning person when you are a TOTAL night owl are appreciated.
• I have a new found love of yoga.  Hopefully, by spring, my stomach will reflect this in my (one-piece) bathing suit.  
• New Molly words - Flesto star= disco ball, wash car = car wash.  Love.
• Does anyone get as excited as I do to complete their taxes?  Seriously...I love it.
• I'm so lucky to have my Momma.  She does things that I would never think to do for someone.  For example, we needed swim diapers and she got online within hours of our need, ordered, and had them to me within the week in time for our second swim lesson.  (Thankful for awesome neighbors who got us through the first lesson).  She also brought me time release vitamin C today for my teeth and gums - her dentist recommended this and has seen an improvement...my dentist didn't offer that suggestion, but, did say that the ol' mouth is not looking so awesome lately.  It's just so nice that someone thinks of me often enough and wants to help me...when she knows that I'd have time release vitamin C on my shopping list for months and keep complaining about my bleeding gums.  She's amazing...and selfless...and I'm lucky.  It's the little things in life that really do make a difference.
• Sidda has a suspicious tumor on her leg and is having surgery on Valentine's Day.  To say that I'm scared would be an understatement.  As much as I complain about our furry friends, I can't imagine life without them.  We've had Sid since the summer we were engaged.  She's really one of my best friends.  
• Buffett is still super crazy, but I love him, too.  I'd be just as scared about surgery for him...even though it's him that I bitch about the most!  Ha.  
• So, the babies...TODDLER BEDS.  What a disaster.  They started climbing out of their cribs all.the.time.  Mad-Mad (as she calls herself) came down the stairs two nights in a row and then patiently called for me to come get her.  Holy hell, I almost had a heart attack.  Then, one Sunday, Rob was in the basement, came upstairs thinking they were still asleep...nope.  Sitting in the chair together playing the iPad.  He didn't even see them and heard them start giggling.  Clearly, we had to bite the bullet.  Molly was in her CRIB until after her third birthday.  She's still in a toddler bed.  I can't even take it that the twins are in toddler beds...and nap times are just ridiculous, if they even happen.  It pretty much goes like this - 
• Take them upstairs, tuck them in their bed.
• Very sternly tell them NOT TO GET OUT OF BED to GO TO SLEEP.
• Run downstairs and grab the monitor to watch the dance party that ensues.
• Go back upstairs after a few minutes of this insanity, repeat steps 1 - 3.
• Pray they will go to sleep.
• Pray some more.  
• Give up after 2 hours when they are still playing, albeit quietly, and go release the hounds.
• Or, on days where you are really lucky - enjoy the nap time and the much smoother evening that follows.
• Today, they refused nap and Marlin literally passed out in Mom's lap about 4:00.  Literally.  Like, she couldn't get him to wake up.  The kid was beat.  
• This nap time ridiculousness has helped with the crazy early mornings, though.  Mar-Mar (as he calls himself) will now typically sleep until 7.  Much more acceptable to his Momma, who does not function well before 8.  
• It's awesome that they are my 2nd and 3rd children, because if this had happened with Molly, I'd have laid down and just died.  I would have lost so much sleep over it.  You definitely parent different after the first.  It's so funny to watch them and infuriating at the same time. 
• What am I going to do next year when Molly  has to be at school by 8??  Yikes.  Again, becoming a morning person advice is appreciated :)
• On Christmas Eve a high school friend's husband lost his battle with Melanoma.  He deserves more than a bullet on my blog, but I haven't yet found the right words.  Until then, hug your babies tight.  Life is precious and it could be gone in the blink of an eye.  And, please pray for my friend Rachel and their 2 young children (4 years and 3 years) as they face a very difficult path ahead of them.  

I really want to post pictures from the birthdays and holidays, but, I couldn't go to sleep tonight without at least getting down some of my thoughts as of late.  I'm writing it down now to hold myself accountable - my (February) New Year's Resolution - keep my blog up to date because one day these babies will be too busy for their tired old momma and our memories will be more special than I could possibly realize now.