O Christmas Tree...

There was much debate on whether to have a tree this year. We gave in and decided it is not Christmas without a tree. Because our budget is a little tight, we got a smaller tree than we're used to. Also, because I have TWO two-year-olds I had to address the ornament issue. I didn't want ornaments just on the top of the tree and I didn't want any of our precious ornaments broken. My crazy mother had the idea to crochet & knit ornaments that could be removed and tossed around and wouldn't break. My mom knitted all the round ornaments and I crocheted all the Santas. I wanted more Santa's, but come on, I'm lucky to have gotten the ones I did. My time is a little stretched between 3 little guys and 1 big guy. Here's the finished product.

This is my favorite part. The boys are not allowed to turn on the lights (they LOVE plugs and I'm trying to stifle their urge...with no luck...to stop plugging in things). Anyway, we found this one day. They took off the Santa and tied it around the plugs. What clowns.

Here's a close up of the one type of Santa.

Here's the big Santa (minus eyes and a belt buckle).

Merry Christmas...Can you believe it's next week?!?

5 Months!

My baby is 5 months old today. How in the world did we get here? He is not much of a baby. He is a big, big boy and I am wrapped around his little finger. He is starting to coo and gurgle more and is anxiously awaiting me feeding him solid foods. He is ready, I just need to remember to buy some baby food next time I'm at the store. He usually sleeps through the night, but he's been a little sporatic lately and has been waking up for a snack in the middle of the night. My doctor said to just put him back to sleep when that happens, but it's quicker for me to just feed him and I am tired and lazy so I usually do that rather than take the time to make him sleep (just to be awoken 15 minutes later cause he really wants that snack)! His brothers adore him and love on him. We are so lucky that he chose to come and be a part of our family!

to remember...

Charlie word:
Helicopter/Airplane = "cot-tee"

Dylan word:
Measuring tape = "mama" ???, I don't know, wierd kid.

Charlie & Dylan:
Dylan = "Naa"
Charlie = "Naa"
Oliver = "O"
Shoes = "ga-ga"
Socks (first word, still sayin' it) = "ga"
Drink = "unk, unk, unk" (said in their throat, kinda sounds like a gulp)

That's it for now.

And the Mother of the Year award goes to...

ME!!

We were out running errands this morning and when I got home, O was ready for lunch. I brought in my groceries, got the boys an apple, and sat down to feed O. I'm sitting there, and I can hear the boys in the kitchen. It sounds like they've pulled things from the drawer they know they're not supposed to be in (but they also know I'm pre-occupied with O). Once I was half way done feeding I thought I better check it out. I came around the corner to these two faces.

Exhibit A:

Once I got a little closer I saw this.

Exhibit B:

(please ignore my dirty, nasty sink)

Yep, it's confirmed...I am definetly the Mother of the Year.

A couple things I don't want to forget

I just needed to write these two things down for memory-keeping.
#1: Speaking of potty-talk. I gave up on potty training on Saturday. That night Brandt went into the boys's room to check on them before we went to sleep. I was in the kitchen so I could hear anything going on in the room. Brandt creaked the door open and I heard "poo-poo". Once Brandt came back out I asked if that's what I heard and he laughed and said it was. Cracking the door had awoken Dylan just enough to speak. He was dreaming about "poo-poo". Hilarious.
#2: last night I was cleaning up the kitchen before we were about to have dinner. We had purchased a couple measuring tapes to put in the boys's stockings. Dylan has an extreme fascination with them because his daddy has them and he is daddy's helper. Anyway, the measuring tapes were in our kitchen cabinet and I was sick of them being there since it was where other things were supposed to go so I moved them to our office. I just dumped them inside the door (no one goes in there) and I was going to wrap them. Of course, Brandt went in there for something just after I had done that and Dylan followed him in. He saw the tape and knew exactly what it was. No matter that it was a different shape, color than daddy's but he knew. You would not believe the tizzy fit that was to be had after that. He stood at the door and sobbed for that measuring tape. Brandt said to me "Way to go Drea, Santa is already a fraud to a 2 year old." Opps. I guess the tape is NOT going in the stocking and will be the last gift he opens because once he see it, everything else will be forgotten.

I give up

I know I said I was giving it 5 days but I'm done. I think potty training is on hold for a few more weeks and I'll try it again. The boys are treating it like a game. They say "poo-poo" all the time and we go and sit on the potty, and nothing. Then they go in their underwear. A few things I have learned during this are:

1. I need to work on my patience.
2. I have the best husband in the world to support anything I choose to do.
3. I have the best baby that is so patient to let me deal with the twins before I get to him.
4. Little boys in under-roos is adorable (creepy, I know, but my boys look so big in them).
5. My shower curtain upstairs needs to be washed.

Maybe I've given the boys a taste of going potty so the next time I have built up my patience and determination they will jump on board with going "poo-poo" a little quicker and easier. I've dreaded this, no wonder I've failed, but we will get there eventually.

Cute Oliver tonight...I want to eat him up.

When is enough, enough??

It's day #3. We've been seeing if the boys want to be potty trained and I'm on day #3. I don't know if any of it is sinking in and when we should give up and put the diapers back on. It's exhausting and I'm about done. I told myself I would keep it up for 5 days. Is that too long, too short? I was dragging my feet on this and I had to go to a relief society meeting this week and my sister watched the boys. When I got home she told me that Charlie told her "poo-poo" and she took him into the toilet and he went poop in the potty so I figured, "now is the time". I know there is that fine line of when they are ready and I don't want to miss it but I am sick of cleaning up mess after mess. We have a house full of urine. Day one I had 8 messy underwear, day two I had 9 messy underwear. It is 10:30am on day 3 and I have 6 dirty underwears. Oh my heavens, potty training twins stinks, no pun intended. I'm a little frusterated but the savings of having to only buy Oliver diapers looks so great. I guess we'll keep it up a few more days and see what happens. Any advice? Please share.Oh, and Oliver rolled over 2x this morning! What a big boy!