3 = Smarty Pants

All of a sudden, the girls turning 3 has brought me to a new stage of insightful, intelligent, too-smart-for-their-own-good little girls. I can't get away with some of the little things I could before. They're on to me now. Here are a few of the conversations happening in our house right now.

Context: Jeremy's out of town for the night, I'm putting the girls to bed.

Me: Good night Addy--I love you so much, you know that right?
Addy: I know Mom (no longer mommy most of the time-ugh). Will Daddy be in your bed in the morning?
Me: No, Daddy's on a trip, but you can come in my bed in the morning and watch cartoons.
Addy: So you sleep all by yourself tonight?
Me: Yep, Mommy will sleep by herself and Addy will sleep by herself and Lilly will sleep by herself.
Addy: I don't sleep by myself, I sleep with my blankies and animals. You wanna sleep with my bear tonight so you don't have to sleep by yourself?

(cue heart melting)
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Context: Running late to get them to school, everyone's ready but me, I decide I'll take them drop them off, then come run back to the house to shower and head to work (that's the benefit of sending them 2 minutes away, right?) I'm loading them in the car...kids (check), backpacks (check)

Lilly: Mommy, I no wanna go to my new school today. (whiny voice)
Me: Lilly, all big girls go to school, you'll be fine.
Lilly: I want to stay here with you.
Me: Honey, I don't stay here, I go to work, your daddy goes to work, your grandma goes to work, everyone goes to work, you can't stay here alone.

Now we are pulling out of the driveway

Lilly: If you're going to work, where is your 'puter bag?

(Got me there kid)

Me: Mommy's in meetings all day today, I don't need my computer (I don't think she bought it)
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Context: Had a great playgroup with some new & old friends last week. The girls ask so many questions before people come over and after they leave. I'm literally interrogated--what's Skyla's daddy do when he goes to work? What do you think George and Teddy are having for dinner? Does Logan like his Daddy? Does Brooke's mommy like dogs? It's a riot, but exhausting--they are so inquisitive! After a really fun playgroup, I knew I'd get some questions, but wasn't expecting this one...

Lilly: Will those kids come back and play another day?
Me: We can invite them to come another day, would you like that?
Lilly: Yes. What are all their names again?
Me: I list the names of the kids who were here.
Lilly: Can they bring their Daddy's to play next time?
Me: Not everyone has Daddy's honey, a couple of those kids have two mommies isn't that cool?
Lilly: That's cool. Their mommies can come play next time.

5 hours later that day....

Lilly: Mom, when I'm four can I have two mommies?

Ha! Needed to blog, so the conversations wouldn't be forgotten!
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Other activities, we gave the girls their "big girl" bikes that have been in our attic until they got tall enough and I was ready for the change and they LOVE them!

Professional Pics

A & L have grown up with our photographer, Kate! She first met them when I was 30 weeks pregnant, then again as newborns. She celebrated their first year, then their second year and now onto year 3! Thanks for an awesome job Little Light Photography!

Birthday Party (check!)

Now that my 3-year olds totally believe that birthdays can span a month, I think we are done! We hosted their party at a Splash Park this weekend and it worked out great because it had to be nearing 100 degrees outside! The kids had a blast while most of the grown-ups sweat. We ordered invitations from Cards with Care, sandwiches from Jimmy John's, cakes from Pat-A-Cake's Bakery and mom celebrated after bedtime with wine from Tasteful Times (opening this week--more on that to come!).

Pretty cute theme for twins if I do say so myself...

Not much decorating at a splash park (bonus)

Birthday girl Lilly--this was the first year we sang to them each individually and they were both hams!

Goofy Addy, never quite as easy to photograph!

They are getting pretty brave with the fountains

Always fearless Addy!

We love celebrating with friends--thanks to everyone who came!

We also like to flirt...

Grandma Linda & Grandma Jody helped a ton--thank you!

We hung out with Uncle's Jon's girlfriend, Maggie--who A & L ADORE!

Mommy and Addy

Family picture--bring on year 3!

Third Birthday

It was around this time 3 years ago that I was wheeled out of recovery and into the NICU to meet my baby girls. Girls who had given me quite a scare earlier in the day, delivered via emergency c-section, just 1 minute apart. Girls that couldn't wait to past 33 1/2 weeks to live outside my body. Girls, who in an instant, taught me that I loved more than I ever thought possible. Happy 3rd birthday to the girls who will always be my babies. (Addy, left & Lilly, right-below)

They woke up to me singing Happy Birthday to them, they wore their princess crowns, scooted on their new princess scooters and joined the cul-de-sac's first day of school doughnut party, thinking it was all for them :-)

When asked what they wanted to do, Lilly wanted to "hang out with the elephants", so we headed to the zoo. Addy loved the zebras...


The girls were especially affectionate to each other today, which was nice as it seems fighting is more the norm around here. They were quick to tell each other Happy Birthday and give a hug or a kiss.
We ran into a few of our favorite friends. They later recounted the day to Aunt Cat, telling her about the dolphin show, the lemurs who were too hot, the rhin-o-srosis, the giraffes and the super-fast cheeeee----tahs.


Dad took a break from the office and met up with us, the girls thought that was such fun. He took us to lunch and made sure they knew how special they are!




Addy had said she wanted to swim after afternoon naps, but the thunderstorms had other plans for us. We gathered some family & friends and headed out to dinner. They got some special surprises......and of course some sweets. Tuckered out, they were both quick to tell me that they had a great day and reminded me "mommy's birthday is next". We've got another month, but at least they've started the countdown to when they can have cake next! They haven't totally figured it out yet, but their party is coming up this weekend and yes, there will be cake :-)

Happy Birthday Addy & Lilly!

Dentist, Doctor's, New School--Oh My!

Summer is coming to a close (despite temps rising!) and as the girls get closer to their 3rd birthday--we've been checking things off the to-do list! They've done the dentist once before, but not actually had a cleaning, so this was a first. They were too funny and Addy, without prompting, went up to Lilly when she was in the chair to "hold her foot" for comfort. They did great and had NO cavities :-)

Next, we hit the doctor's office for their well-visit. One traumatic vaccine later and I brought home these BIG girls...

Lilly: 36.3 lbs (90th percentile), 38 1/2 inches tall (77th)

Addy: 33.7 lbs (78th percentile), 39 1/4 inches tall (89th)

Not bad for a couple of preemies....

Their 3rd year of life has also brought them to a new preschool. They LOVE it so far and have even cooperated during "rest time." The kids eat "family-style", so I don't pack a lunch and they get to eat varying foods and hopefully get peer pressured into eating some healthy options. The school offers "Watch Me Grow" webcams in the classrooms so I can check in on them during the day. I think this is a true sign of the times and seems a bit to "Big Brother" esque to me, but shows the school takes pride in who they are and how they fill the days of busy toddlers.

Enjoy the pictures--more posts & pics coming soon!

Lilly, quite the observer in both appointments.

Addy comforting her sissy

Addy making friends with all the techs

Guest Blogger-Dad's Perspective on Legacies

There is a time in every lucky kids life that they realize that they must have a family outlet besides their mom, dad, sister, or brother. I was lucky enough to have my mom's parents, Grandpa Bill and Mickey. For the majority of my childhood they lived 3 blocks (or two streets and 4 back yards) from our house. They have an awesome property, with 2 heavily wooded acres, a big pool with diving board, and a basketball hoop. Once I hit 2nd grade, I spent the night there frequently. I remember Grandpa taking me to Kindergarten at Lawrence North High School where he was Principal, dragging me through the back hallways and in and out of faculty doors and eventually through the back entrance to the cafeteria for a chocolate milk and to say hi to all the lunch ladies....always flattered that they were the first to be greeted by the Principal.

Bill and Mickey loved the outdoors and some of my fondest memories growing up were in their woods and pool. One fall when I was in grade school, he had this awesome idea to "tap" all the maple trees on his property and collect the syrup. We collected maple syrup for about 5 days and on a Saturday morning Chris, Grandpa, and I poured what felt like 20 gallons of raw maple sap into a giant black cauldron (think witches pot) and burned it for 24 hours. We stayed there all day and night monitoring and mixing the syrup until the next morning. The 24 hour burn of 20 gallons of raw maple sap, turned into about the 2 cups of maple syrup that we had the next morning on waffles.

Bill and Mickey also picked blackberries every summer and would make cobblers, pies, and jams that they would can and give enough jars to my parents that would last through the fall. With that said I found a huge batch of blackberry bushes that I have been picking for the last three weeks and freezing. Addy and Lilly have helped several evenings in this adventure. This last Tuesday Aimee and I had our neighbor's kids over for a slumber party. I invited my grandfather Bill and Mickey over to help with our first attempt at making jam. It was a great success. We made two batches. The first was over cooked a little "tough" meaning it doesn't spread very well, but the second was perfect. All four kids had a blast and Bill was instrumental in his passing of the blackberry jam legacy to me and the youngsters. Here's what we did:

Old School Blackberry Jam recipe:

10 cups of blackberries

10 cups of sugar

Put blackberries in a big pot (one you cook corn on the cob in)

Use potato masher and mash all the blackberries until they become liquefied

Add Sugar and cook on low to low-medium for 30 to 40 minutes. Stir often and you know the blackberry jam is ready when it turns a deep purple and it slowly goops off the spoon.

Pour in canning jars and let sit over night.

Addy & Lilly are so blessed to still have great-grandparents who are active in their lives, they are fortunate that their maternal grandparents live on this beautiful golf course that they see as a giant playground and their paternal grandparents have a home on the water. They will enjoy so many memories in these places, passing on legacies like night-swimming and massive games of tag onto their children. We can't wait to watch!