Just too stinkin' cute

Have I mentioned that my guys are adorable?

Really, the funniest, cutest little beings that I have ever encountered.

So, today after nap, they are in their room playing and I hear them talking about and playing with their stuffed animal dogs. Jack is particularly attached to a stuffed dog that he got while he was in pre-op before he had his tonsils out. It's blonde and soft and he LOVES it. Quent has taken a liking to a beanie baby-type bassett hound dog that my Aunt Nancy had sent as a gift from Maine. They both sleep with these dogs (in addition to a herd of other friends) and they like to cover them up and help the dogs go to sleep - you know like pat their backs, give them kisses - just too sweet.

Well, today I am changing them after nap, just talking about their dogs and I asked "What is your doggie's name?" They would say, 'dog', 'white dog', but I don't think they were getting that I was asking them for a name. So, I read the tag on the beanie baby dog and it says that the name is Tracker.
And I say, "Quentie your doggie's name is Tracker."

"Oh my dog is Cracker", Quent tells me. (I try to correct him but he holds firm to the name Cracker, so Cracker it is.)

I turn to Jack and say, "Quentie's doggie is named Cracker, what is your doggie's name?"

"Not Cracker. Not Cracker. I like the Cookie", Jack says!

"Jack, your doggie's name is Cookie?" I ask smiling.

Jack jumps and yells, "Okay, my doggie is Cookie!"
And they each called them that the rest of the day.

Yep, my boys have named their dogs Cracker and Cookie - I LOVE IT!!

FIREWORKS!

As a thank you to our community for voting in a millage that made many school district improvements possible, the schools hosted a celebration event for the community on Saturday. It was a free event at our local high school and was geared towards family fun. We didn't make it there until after dinner, but we were there in time to get a balloon and hear some music from a local band. Quent loved watching the band play, they basically were a cover band and played rock songs, and they were REALLY LOUD. Well, Quent was glued to the final songs and even was fascinated by them packing up their gear! If only they would have let him touch those drums!

Anyway, after there were some little speeches by school officials, there was a balloon launch, and then the fireworks show. Now, in July it got dark much too late for us to keep the boys up for 4th of July fireworks, but since it was dark by 8:00, we wanted to see if the boys would like it. This was their very first time seeing fireworks!

Just waiting for all those balloons to go flying
Can you tell who is who from behind?

Thank goodness we had started out toward the car before the fireworks started because we were that much further from the blasts. Jack was pretty freaked out by it, but he is sensitive to noises and plugs his own ears sometimes. This is how he and Daddy listened to the show at first.

Even though it surprised Quent, and he wanted Momma to hold him, he thought they were pretty cool and talked about and pointed at all the colors. He would say, "Wow, that was a loud firework. That's a green one!"

Jack clung pretty tight to Daddy the whole time, and I am not sure that he said one word. Later, he talked about it and seemed to have enjoyed it so that's a relief that he wasn't completely scarred by the experience.

"Wow - Look at all those fireworks!"

"Whew, Momma and Daddy, it was fun, but we are ready to take our balloons home and go to bed."

Working at GG's house

Yesterday we went to GG's house and met my Mom and Aunt Jean there. They were there to work on digging up and splitting some plants with my Grandma and we just came over to "help" and visit. It was a beautiful day and we all had a good time being outside and playing at GG's - OH yeah, and showing off for Gramma, Aunt Jean and GG :)

Jack is checking out this cute little bumblebee pinwheel in the yard
(later he and Quent worked together to get it out of the ground, oh boy!)

The boys got some brooms from GG and were cleaning up all the dirt in the driveway,
they LOVED this job!


They really wanted to throw things away in the yard waste can,
so we told them they could pick up all the leaves and put them in!


Quentin took his job very seriously!


Whoo - gotta take a break on GG's swing after all that hard work!

Happy Birthday to My Sarah and Jacob

4 years ago today I was in labor waiting for you to come
It was much too soon
21 weeks 2 days gestation
We knew there was little hope

You were planned for
You were hoped for
You were prayed for
Twins, what a blessing
You were loved beyond measure long before we met you

It was out of our control
You would be delivered too soon
Too small
Not ready for the outside world
Our hearts were broken

At 7:05 am Sarah Jane came first
Weighing just 12 ounces
She had Momma's features
At 7:10 am Jacob Robert came
Weighing just 15 ounces
Daddy's hands and toes

We held you wrapped together in your blanket
You met your family
You were baptized
You died knowing all that love, our one comfort
We said our hellos and goodbyes
Our lives would never be the same.

Happy Birthday to you my beautiful angels
Sarah Jane and Jacob Robert

We miss you and love you everyday, but especially today.

Wir verpassen Sie, Mindy, Tony and little AJ!

Translation: We miss you Mindy, Tony and little AJ!

We got to have dinner tonight with my friends Mindy, Tony, including meeting her sweet little guy AJ for the first time and Sarah and Mark! I took the boys and met Tom there and then Tom was such a super-Dad that he took the boys home for bed and let me hang out and chat with my friends, but not before Jack and Quent got a cool truck from Mindy. That was a big hit! Thanks, Mindy! (In fact, all the guys went home with the kids and let the ladies to hang out!)

Mindy and Tony live in Germany (and AJ too). They are in the states for a wedding in North Carolina, and were visiting friends and family in Michigan too.

So excited to get to see Mindy and hang out and chat! Mindy, Sarah and I all worked together in Lansing from 2001-2004 and have stayed close friends ever since. These are my GIRLS! Some of the best friends a girl could have! They helped me get through some really hard times, the worst and I love them so much!

Of course the visit was great, but never long enough! It was great to catch up and I can't wait for the next visit!

Love Ya MINDY!!

John Ball Zoo!

Sunday, we went to the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids and had a blast! Gramma came with us and we met Rob, Abby, Avery, and Tessa there, along with their friends Marci, Mike and Michael. It is a really cool zoo, even in the off-season, which were are technically in now. I would have really loved the boys to have seen the giraffes, but they had a lot of fun with all the other animals that we did get to see. We will definitely make that trip again!

Here's some shots from the day!

Thanks for meeting us Rob and Abby and the "girls"! We had a a lot of fun and can't wait to do it again!

Way Back When-esday

As I was reading Goodnight Moon tonight to Jack and Quent, and they were sitting with Daddy, I was thinking about how we started reading goodnight Moon and how different it was back when...
The boys were 2 months old in this picture (Quent on the left, Jack on the right) and don't they look oh so thrilled about Goodnight Moon. Well, I guess it planted the seed because now that is one of their favorite bedtime books. I always love our special reading times.
Ahhh, sweet baby memories...

Click on over to Twinfatuation to see who else is reminiscing tonight.

Two for TWOS-Day

Playing along with Deanna over at Eight is Great today for her Two for Twos-day fun. My picture was taken this afternoon while having lunch. Me, my Mom, and my fabulous twosome had played at the mall toddler play area (met some friends from our multiples group), done some shopping, and were finishing our lunch when Quentin decided to feed Jack some cantaloupe from his plate. It was SO CUTE!

"I'm sharing fruit with Jack" is what he was saying, Jack loved it and they did this over and over, clapping each time. (the mall walking ladies in the back on the right got quite a kick out of it, too!) See - they really do love each other - those sweet little brothers!
So, I had to share this adorable photo of my 2 guys and play along today - thanks Deanna for a good idea!

Rainy, rainy days

It has been raining for the past 2 days here, so we have been staying in and that makes for not too happy boys - which makes for not too happy mom and dad.

Yesterday, we escaped the house and went to Gramma and Papa's to play and have dinner. That was a welcomed and fun time away. I probably don't have to say how much Jack and Quent LOVE to go to Gramma and Papa's. So much so, that I don't tell them we are going until we are getting shoes on and ready to leave, otherwise they go nuts waiting to go (can you blame 'em - they are only 2 and don't really get the concept of 'later' or 'tomorrow especially when you're talking about something fun!)

Today, Momma got to sleep in - Oh, Thank You Tom! (it's his day tomorrow) and then we just puttered around at home and played here. This evening Tom wanted to go and have dinner at Thompson Creek Turkey Farm. Its a local place that has the best turkey meals, they also have to-die-for turkey jerky and I don't like the beef stuff, this is totally different and yummy.

So, we took the boys out for dinner on a rainy night. They had so much fun flirting with one of the girls who was working there. She would walk out and they would both wave and yell, "Hi, Hi, Hi!" They do love the ladies! With their meals they got a cookie and boy was that the highlight of their meal (I had kept them hidden under a napkin so they would be more likely to eat the turkey and veggies) We all had a good dinner and after bath and stories for the boys, all is quiet. Except for the snoring from Tom and maybe even from Quent :)

































More rain is expected tomorrow, so we will have to come up with something to do that will keep us all from cabin fever. What will we do when winter comes?!

Ugh - It's become a weekly thing lately!

Not that I ever intend on it being a week (or more) between the times that I blog, but it seems to be happening a lot lately. I don't like it, but the time just flies by.

We are SO into our Terrific Two's (can you detect the sarcasm). Not to say that my guys are not terrific, they are. They are so talkative and funny, and lately there have been so many times I wish I could just tape all the things that they say because they are so darn cute. There has been loads of singing and dancing these days, but as soon as the video camera is out - boom - all activity stops and they are fascinated at watching themselves on it. So I need to find a stealthier (is that even a word) way to videotape their massive cuteness.

But, along with all those spectacular and wonderful abilities and talents comes the tantrums, refusals, and the sibling fighting/ rivalry. I hear a lot of "that's my Momma" or just "that's mine". There's been hitting and pushing galore. We began a 'Naughty Spot' consequence some time ago (got some foam spots from IKEA - works great) and then just recently added the timer so that they know they can get up when the bell rings. So, that's been a lesson in consistency for us grown-ups, but they are getting it. The weird thing is that I used to teach time-out to parents all the time, when I was working as a child therapist. And then its my own kids and I have to keep reminding myself of the rules that we should be following. It's a work in progress for us all, but there has been improvement.
Really, all the naughtiness is well within the realm of typical 2-year-old behavior, it's just that when you get it full force some days - TIMES 2 - it is hard not to feel like you have been clocked in the head with a really big shoe. (weird analogy, I know)

I do have some pictures of the boys at my Aunt Betty and Uncle Dan's house for Labor Day weekend. We got together and had a potluck at their house and just hung out. We always have a good time with them. Jack and Quent had a ball playing there with the other kids (and grown-ups too) and with all the cool toys they don't have at home.

Jack is trying to get into this hot pink Barbie car
and learning a little bit about size and fit at the same time.

Aunt Betty pulled out firefighters' hats that were a big hit with both the boys,
here Quent is showing how they were wearing them - backwards!

Miss Alexis had just come home from the hospital that day and so it also
turned into a coming home celebration for her too!
Jack decided he would lay with her and keep her company while she rested.
We were all very worried for Miss Alexis there for a while,
but she is doing SO much better now! Thank Goodness!

Hmmmm........what else......

Oh, we had an awesome date night this past saturday with our good friends Sarah and Mark. My parents kept the boys overnight and we went to meet Sarah and Mark in Lansing for the evening. We went to dinner at DeLuca's, my most favorite place in Lansing and Sarah's too. They have the best spinach pizza, oh - yummy! The wait was forever, but totally worth it, I think :)
After dinner we split up, girls together and boys together and did a little shopping and then met back up at the movie theater and saw Step-Brothers. It was HILARIOUS!!! We were laughing so hard I was crying! I would see it again and it will probably be one that we buy when it comes out. Just too funny. We all had a really good time, thanks Sarah and Mark (and to the grandparents that were watching all the kids so we could go out).

So, now that this has become a novel, I will end this post and try to catch up on reading some of my favorite blogs!

Two for Twos-day

I thought I would play Two for Twos-days along with Deanna from Eight is Great. Barb at Tale of Two Twinkies and Debi from Who says 8 is Enough? Always post cute pics, so I thought I would join in this week.

I chose this picture of my brother, Rob, and me because today is his birthday!

Happy Birthday Rob!

We graduated from college on the same day - me from Michigan State and him from Albion College. Our family split up to attend each of our commencement ceremonies because they were literally same day, same time. So, we got to see each other's graduation through video and pictures! The coolest part was that we had a HUGE graduation party together at my parents' house later that day (the picture is us in my parents' backyard). It was a lot of fun and still it gets talked about today! (oh - the Aftershock, some of you know what I mean and will never eat cinnamon gum again :)

So, hope your day was great Rob!

ps - Rob started a blog about my adorable nieces, check it out.

Happy 35th Anniversary Mom and Dad!

(and my 100th Post!!)

Happy Anniversary to my Mom and Dad.
35 years ago today they tied the knot.
They look so cute (a little petrified, but cute)

And check out the baby blue tux jacket,
It was 1973, you know!?

Congratulations
Mom and Dad!
Here's to 35 more
Love,
Lisa, Tom , Jack and Quent