Words from the monitor

We hear some pretty funny things from the boys on the monitors. I've decided to start documenting them because though I think I'll remember... well... we all know better.

5 a.m. (ish) Saturday morning: sound of light switch flipping on, then Collin's voice talking to a sleeping Oliver: "Olber, yu see my bink? Olber, wher my bink? Oh... der it is." I walk in: "Hi mom, I foun my bink, see?"

6:30 a.m. (ish) Sunday morning two weeks ago: Oliver voice: "Collin, you awake? Collin, you awake? Collin, you awake?........" I walk in to find Oliver sitting on his knees in Collin's bed, with his face in Collin's sleeping face, repeating "Collin, you awake" over and over. Then, to me, "Good morning mommy. He's not awake yet."

Any random night: loud background noise of the monitor being picked up, then the boom of Ethan's voice, his mouth right on the microphone area: "Mommy, I need to order a drink of water please." And if I don't bring it within a minute: "Mom... mom, I said I need a drink. Mom?"

Yes, Ethan still has a monitor. Until college I think, maybe longer...

Na, na, na, na, na, na.... na, na... BATMAN!

Last Saturday night was Ethan's long awaited first drive in the Batmobile.

Oliver's thinking, "when he grows out of it, it's mine... all mine..."

Burning rubber...

Oliver ran after him the entire time, smiling and laughing, enjoying it as much as Ethan.

Someone was giving this away years ago and we snagged it. All it needed was some parts and know how... enter daddy. It was worth the wait, Ethan absolutely loved it.

Candles and applesauce cupcakes

Since Krissy was starting clerkship (med. school rotations), and therefore life (Mon-Sat) as she knew it would be over starting this last Monday, when she was down last Saturday she decided she wanted to have a little celebration for the twins birthday which is coming up.

She got them party hats and noise makers and made them applesauce raisin cupcakes. They loved it. They loved the hats and noise makers. They loved the singing of happy birthday. They loved blowing out the candles. They loved eating the yummy (and healthy) birthday treats. They loved their presents. And they love, love, love their Aunt Krissy.

Blowing out the candles... took a while but they actually did it.

Thank you Aunt Krissy! We haven't yet accepted that we might not see you until December (oh, you are so coming here then, so just plan on it), so don't be surprised if we call begging you to come down before. Really, you don't need to sleep on Sundays... a five hour round trip visit to us would be more fun... right?

Aunt Krissy Palooza

We have been lucky enough to see Aunt Krissy at least one time on four of the five weekends in July. Krissy and I were discussing it and we think we saw her more in July than we did the entire year to that point. The boys are LOVING it. We don't get many family visitors unfortunately (read: family, please come visit!), so when we do they go crazy. Plus, Aunt Krissy likes to get on the floor and build, play action figures, do pretend play and just about anything else they want to do... so she's tops in their books.

I also love having her, not only to see her and catch up, which we rarely get to do since she started medical school two years ago and two hours from here, but also because that means I can get something done. Like I said, we get very few family visitors, so when we do, I take advantage of it. Steve and I either try to get some much needed deep cleaning done in warp speed when we actually have someone to watch the boys, or Krissy and I take them on "field trips" to places I am not brave enough to do on my own yet (while daddy is trying to knock out some "house to do" items that have mounded into triple digit numbers since the twins were born and we have no time to get anything done) or I take her along to knock out some errands that again, I am not brave enough to do alone (while Steve, again, tries to make a dent in the list).

This last weekend I chose errands. Specifically getting shoes for the boys - which was both much over due. Now, all of you that are parents (especially those of multiples) will appreciate how grateful Steve was that it was Krissy going with me and not him. Add the fact that it was the first weekend of the buy one, get on 1/2 off sale at Stride Rite and that gratefulness quadruples. There is nothing fun about shoe shopping with twin two years old... though fortunately Ethan has gotten easier.

It actually didn't go too badly. We did several pass-bys of the store, waiting for the crowd to leave, and managed to hit it on our fourth time (I think) around. Ethan had picked out his shoes on-line already, so he was easy. He got in the store, found his shoes, got fitted and was done. I have to tell you, I thought it was so cute that he wanted so much say in his shoes this time. Normally he is fine with just about anything. This time he wanted the slingshots with silver on them. Collin was the only one that gave us any issues at the store. Oliver was pretty easy... well, until he decided he wanted to try on more shoes (once we were done with him). Both Oliver and Ethan wanted to wear their new shoes, whereas Collin was insistent on his "bown hoes"... which are hideous.... but that's another blog post.

We were able to do a little clearance back to school shopping, while waiting for the shoe store to get less busy, also much needed (still need to do more if anyone is up for it...). Our other accomplishment was we were able to narrow the backpack selection down. They all want the new Pottery Barn Kid backpacks. Yes, they are superheros. Ethan and Oliver want Batman and Collin wants "hiderman." I am still debating over the size to get Ethan and whether to get their names embroidered on them when I order them, but at least we have a decision.

Oliver did have one melt down in which he put himself in time out in the mall walkway. I don't think he was feeling well, because he wasn't doing anything that called for a time out. But nonetheless it was kind of funny when he said "Oliver's in time out" kind of crying and whiny.

All in all, it was a pretty good mall trip. Maybe we are getting over the hump... maybe...

Having a blast in the play area (the camera on my phone is really slow to focus... and they are really fast to run... which equates to blurry photos of quickly moving bodies):

Stitches before three, a new family record

I knew it wasn't a good sign when Ms. Erin called me at 4:25 pm (shortly before I normally get home). I just had this bad feeling. She stuttered a little and then said quickly that Oliver had fallen, she was sure he needed stitches, and though he complained about his head hurting he was running around having a good ol' time. Whoa, back up to the "need stitches" part!

Ethan and Oliver were playing, as they do, and Oliver fell into an end table at just the right angle, in just the right way... apparently... and gashed his eyelid open (right side, right under his eyebrow). And in typical Oliver fashion, recovered quickly and went on playing only complaining about his head hurting every five minutes or so in a matter of fact way.

When I picked him up, leaving the other two with Ms. Erin until Steve got home, he was all happy and excited to go. When we got to the Children's Close to Home urgent care he was perfect. Smiling and happy waiting in the waiting room FULL of people. When they called us, he got on the scale without issue, let them take his blood pressure and temperature and then play with his eye... all the time smiling (this is the complete opposite of Collin). Quickly they determined he did indeed need stitches, so they put the numbing gel on (and gave him some ibuprofen too) and off we went to the waiting room while the gel did it's work.

This was actually in the room right before they put in his stitches... I couldn't get him to stand still in the waiting room so the photos are really fuzzy (my camera phone is slow). That's how they put the numbing gel on.

After about 25 minutes they called us back. They put Oliver on the table, framed his head in "super clean" papers, and started stitching. The child smiled the entire time and did not even flinch one bit. Not at all. Just laid there. I, on the other hand, was ready to pass out. He was such a little trouper. Never one phased by the sensation of them stitching or the closeness of the man's hands to his eye. Wow. The doctor and two suture techs that were there during it were even amazed.

My little baby laying on the table as they get ready to prep him.

Right after the stitches.

As you know, Oliver is Ethan's mini me. He wants to do everything that Ethan does. Today though, it seems he wanted to take it one step farther and beat a record Ethan previously held - stitches at 3 1/2 years. As a matter of fact, Ethan got his stitches two years ago this month. They were on his forehead. Oliver lost the gore factor though, Ethan's was spewing blood (I am not kidding - it was unbelievable) like some low budget horror movie.

At home afterwards, eating a very late dinner.

At this point, considering some of our other trips there over the years, I am thinking about just buying a couple chairs in the waiting room to have reserved for us. I kind of envision a gold plaque on them that reads "Moore Boys." And maybe also seeing if they will institute a fast pass for us. That way, I could just scan it at the door and walk back to our chairs, which I am certain we will occupy frequently. Sigh...

The line...

As I was making the boys some homemade ice cream (frozen yogurt), I wondered to myself: "Self, have you crossed the line?" You see, I had decided to make them strawberry, kiwi and spinach ice cream. Yes, spinach as the green leafy vegetable. Yes, in ice cream. Yes, I have graduated to green ice cream, from mere smoothies and popsicles. What? Something wrong with that?

I blame Oliver. If he would eat a green veggie, or anything other than a raw carrot here and there, I wouldn't have to sneak spinach and kale in their treats. That's my story and I'm sticking to it...

Regardless, as I blended the strawberries, kiwi, yogurt, milk... and spinach together, then poured into the ice cream maker and later when watched them lovingly eat the ice cream, professing their love and drinking the last drops from their bowls... I had to wonder to myself... One day, when they find out... will it affect the care I get as on old woman? Will I get the crappy nursing home in the middle of no where? Will they sneak prunes into all my food? Will they get me the cheap diapers? Will they only leave me big polka dotted moo moos to wear? Will I pay for this somehow?

With this in mind, I scurried for my camera. In a defensive move for the future, I decided to photograph them enjoying the last bites of their strawberry kiwi (*cough* spinach) ice cream. Surely when they see how happy they were and how much they loved it, they will forgive me. Right?

Shirtless because he got some on his shirt, and if you know Ethan, he hates to have wet clothes.

Enough said, one happy boy.

Has to do whatever Ethan does... thus shirtless.

His "I love this so much" head throw back.

And yes, it is light brown and chocolate looking... that's the color it makes when you mix these red and green items... kind of messed up, huh?

The case of the blueberry snatchers

Okay, there really isn't a mystery here... it was actually an open and shut case.

After our big fruit trip, like I said, I was busy freezing oodles of blueberries for smoothies, "ice cream," popsicles, pancakes, muffins and just plain eating. The boys LOVE frozen blueberries. While I was getting another set of pans (from the garage freezer) full of frozen blueberries to transfer to bags, I walked back in to boys giggling and absconding (or trying to) with handfuls of blueberries.

(these photos are from after I discovered them, which still didn't stop them)

Ask me how many from those freeze batches actually made it into the bags... not many... but there were happy bluish purple faces and hands abound.