Still busy unpacking and getting things put away but we're making progress :)
Here's a peek at where we are at!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
making progress....
Still busy unpacking and getting things put away but we're making progress :)
Here's a peek at where we are at!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
we're home
Well we had seven guys and three women and the group of us managed to empty out the entire contents of the old house, load it on the moving truck and pull out of the driveway in an hour and a half! Quickest move EVER! Everyone followed the truck to Richfield and unloaded and unpacked and helped us set up the house. Royce and I are completely overwhelmed with gratitude for such an amazing community of friends and family that we have. We are not worthy (but blessed beyond measure)!
Jenn and Melly stopped over with a house warming gift and to visit last night which was very sweet and lovely to see more familiar faces. Jenn chased the girls around the house and got them all tired out :) There's a circle the girls run through the living room, to the hallway, through the kitchen and around the dinning room which brings them back to the living room. They've been doing laps since we got here. The old wood floors creak and it makes the most delicious sound to me. I love, love, love old wood floors!
Rasa and Adia are very comfortable here and were immediately. Lucy is happy and comfy and slept half the night in Rasa's bed tucked under the covers lol! Actually last night was one of two nights that Rasa's ever slept all night in her own bed! They are right across the hall from our room and I'm typing this from my bed at 7:30 am on Sunday morning as the rest of my family still sleeps!
I feel good today and happy. The house was chilly last night as we had to get the heat rolling through it so we slept under a pile of quilts but we slept, and slept well for the first time in a long while.
So come on over! We've love to see you!
Jenn and Melly stopped over with a house warming gift and to visit last night which was very sweet and lovely to see more familiar faces. Jenn chased the girls around the house and got them all tired out :) There's a circle the girls run through the living room, to the hallway, through the kitchen and around the dinning room which brings them back to the living room. They've been doing laps since we got here. The old wood floors creak and it makes the most delicious sound to me. I love, love, love old wood floors!
Rasa and Adia are very comfortable here and were immediately. Lucy is happy and comfy and slept half the night in Rasa's bed tucked under the covers lol! Actually last night was one of two nights that Rasa's ever slept all night in her own bed! They are right across the hall from our room and I'm typing this from my bed at 7:30 am on Sunday morning as the rest of my family still sleeps!
I feel good today and happy. The house was chilly last night as we had to get the heat rolling through it so we slept under a pile of quilts but we slept, and slept well for the first time in a long while.
So come on over! We've love to see you!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
T - 2 days!
I thought I should pop in and do a little pre-move update! We are almost all packed up! The thought of packing one more box makes me want to hurl but we will get there ;) The girls have been much more gracious about letting me pack up their belongings whereas before they would look for something they hadn't cared about in a months and yell, "Momma!!! Did you pack _____?????!!!" I kept telling them we're not packing it up forever, just until we get into the new house!
We're loading the truck Saturday morning and saying goodbye to this house. It's bittersweet. We started looking to move two years before the girls were born and probably stayed too long. At the same time I look at all of the tiny details I put into the house, spending years of time and money making my new house look like a cozy old house. I was in the girls bedroom last night and flashbacked to me pregnant (and very sick) rocking in the glider of the girls room crying tears of joy and anticipation (well, and who am I kidding, crying to hurry the hell up and get here I'm in PAIN!!!!), dreaming of bringing my babies home. I tortured my family making that room exactly how I dreamt it up to be but they were gracious and even after my Mom painted the entire room and I changed my mind she painted it again. My Dad painted the dresser three times until it was perfect (thank you mom and Dad...ah I owe ya huh).
We brought our tiny 5lb preemies home here and lived in the living room with them for almost two months while we slept on the couch and they shared the tiny top hammock of the pack and play.
I brought Royce home his first puppy, Buddy, a wrinkled little tank of a purebred bulldog, and handed him over as soon as I pulled into the driveway. That dog trashed this entire house which led to many remodels and furniture replacements!! We put him down last September so his memory leaves here with us on Saturday.
We've been prepping the girls, telling them how wonderful the new house is and they've seen it for themselves and are excited. Tonight as I was getting Rasa dressed for bed in her room I told her we're moving in a few days, we will call the new house home and we won't be here anymore. She said, "Yep. Bye bye house, so long, farewell!" as she was jumping up and down. Adia's been saying randomly, "Momma's going to the new house, Papa, Lucy, Rasa, Jenn...." (Jenn asked her if she could come visit her in the new house). They point to their toys and our furniture and say how it's all coming with us.
I talked to one of my best friends today and she reminded me that I get to bundle up all of my happiness and move it with me. All of my sweet memory makers (Royce, Rasa and Adia). She reminded me of the images I've captured of our happiest moments here in this house and how those are mine, I own them, they are forever and they will never go away. Thank you Amy for that sweet perspective.
I've always been a sentimentalist. I can't help it. When my family moved from St. Cloud to Blaine I was eight years old and after everything had been cleared out of the house I went back downstairs to my bedroom, ran my hand along the ledge and said, "good bye room and good bye house". I felt a heavy heart about leaving it behind then too.
So with that, goodbye room and goodbye house. I'm moving on to a real cozy old house.
We're loading the truck Saturday morning and saying goodbye to this house. It's bittersweet. We started looking to move two years before the girls were born and probably stayed too long. At the same time I look at all of the tiny details I put into the house, spending years of time and money making my new house look like a cozy old house. I was in the girls bedroom last night and flashbacked to me pregnant (and very sick) rocking in the glider of the girls room crying tears of joy and anticipation (well, and who am I kidding, crying to hurry the hell up and get here I'm in PAIN!!!!), dreaming of bringing my babies home. I tortured my family making that room exactly how I dreamt it up to be but they were gracious and even after my Mom painted the entire room and I changed my mind she painted it again. My Dad painted the dresser three times until it was perfect (thank you mom and Dad...ah I owe ya huh).
We brought our tiny 5lb preemies home here and lived in the living room with them for almost two months while we slept on the couch and they shared the tiny top hammock of the pack and play.
I brought Royce home his first puppy, Buddy, a wrinkled little tank of a purebred bulldog, and handed him over as soon as I pulled into the driveway. That dog trashed this entire house which led to many remodels and furniture replacements!! We put him down last September so his memory leaves here with us on Saturday.
We've been prepping the girls, telling them how wonderful the new house is and they've seen it for themselves and are excited. Tonight as I was getting Rasa dressed for bed in her room I told her we're moving in a few days, we will call the new house home and we won't be here anymore. She said, "Yep. Bye bye house, so long, farewell!" as she was jumping up and down. Adia's been saying randomly, "Momma's going to the new house, Papa, Lucy, Rasa, Jenn...." (Jenn asked her if she could come visit her in the new house). They point to their toys and our furniture and say how it's all coming with us.
I talked to one of my best friends today and she reminded me that I get to bundle up all of my happiness and move it with me. All of my sweet memory makers (Royce, Rasa and Adia). She reminded me of the images I've captured of our happiest moments here in this house and how those are mine, I own them, they are forever and they will never go away. Thank you Amy for that sweet perspective.
I've always been a sentimentalist. I can't help it. When my family moved from St. Cloud to Blaine I was eight years old and after everything had been cleared out of the house I went back downstairs to my bedroom, ran my hand along the ledge and said, "good bye room and good bye house". I felt a heavy heart about leaving it behind then too.
So with that, goodbye room and goodbye house. I'm moving on to a real cozy old house.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
my calamity
My girl in pink, dressed all by herself in Olivia's hand-me-down pajama's, her hello kitty boots (not pictured) and her hello kitty hat, complete with nuk. Lovely Adia.
"I LOOOOOOOVE PINK!"
"I LOOOOOOOVE PINK!"
Monday, February 13, 2012
Happy Valentine's Day!
"Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”
Elizabeth Stone
Happy Valentine's Day to the girls who make our hearts go pitter padder.
XXOO
Momma and Daddy
I woke up early and baked strawberry coconut cupcakes (love sugar in the morning!). Jenn came over and we decorated - we had fun. Jenn suggested saving a couple so the girls could decorate their own and they LOVED doing it (of course). I was impressed at their ability to frost their own and how careful they were about shaking the sprinkles on. Rasa mashed all of hers up and ate only the frosting and like usual Adia took one bite and was finished :)
The girls went to Nana and Grampa's house for a heart shaped pizza party and had a wild time tonight! Royce took me out downtown for dinner and we stopped in NE for a happy hour. It was great fun. What a wonderful Valentine's day!
obviously the cupcakes pictured above were the ones Jenn and I did!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
the things they say...
Yesterday we were at my parents house and my Mom made the girls some scrambled eggs. My Dad was sitting next to Adia at the table and he asked, "do you know where eggs come from?" Adia sat there for a second and said, "Yes! Eggs come from the grocery store! Target!"
Tonight the girls and I decided to go for a walk after the sun set. We were walking down the street and Rasa asked, "Where is Gramma Sue?" I said, "What do you mean?" She replied, "Where is Gramma Sue? Is she at home?" I said, "Oh yes she's at home". Rasa said, "I like Gramma Sue. I like Nana too. I like Nana's hair the best!"
Tonight the girls and I decided to go for a walk after the sun set. We were walking down the street and Rasa asked, "Where is Gramma Sue?" I said, "What do you mean?" She replied, "Where is Gramma Sue? Is she at home?" I said, "Oh yes she's at home". Rasa said, "I like Gramma Sue. I like Nana too. I like Nana's hair the best!"
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
my sleep terrorists
My friend Lori gave me that term and it fits oh so perfectly with Rasa and Adia. Here they are at 3 with the same sleep problems they've had since we brought them home. Ok some of it's gotten a little better but not by much!
Royce and I readopted a process we tried before for sleep routines....and failed at.....but here we go again. We trap the girls in their rooms with a baby gate (seriously wish I still had the cribs so we could just kennel them in those...I mean keep them in those). We black out the room and turn the white noise on and tell them it's time for sleep. In theory they would settle into their beds, needing few threats, and go to sleep. In REALITY they talk to each other quietly at first, they laugh and talk louder, they get out of bed and hop the baby gate, visit with each other in each others bed, jump on the beds and throw toys at each other until one girl tells the other she's tired and goes to sleep. This process is about two hours at night and over an hour at nap time.
Today however they did all of the above with me going back to tell them in a very firm and serious voice "GO TO SLEEP!" about 20x. Fast forward 30 minutes and I'm on the phone but can still hear them up there moving around. I get off the phone and go up to find that they had trashed the freakin room! Every article of clothing is thrown across the room, some of it in a big heap on the floor and the flippin curtains are down! Neither of them is even in her own bed and one of them crapped her pants. FREAKIN GREAT!
I put a new pull up on one, put them both in their beds and threaten that they will never come out again if they don't go to sleep (why do I bother with empty threats? They know it will never happen but I've got nothing!).
Tonight I'm going to figure out a way to tie them into their beds............there has to be a way......
Royce and I readopted a process we tried before for sleep routines....and failed at.....but here we go again. We trap the girls in their rooms with a baby gate (seriously wish I still had the cribs so we could just kennel them in those...I mean keep them in those). We black out the room and turn the white noise on and tell them it's time for sleep. In theory they would settle into their beds, needing few threats, and go to sleep. In REALITY they talk to each other quietly at first, they laugh and talk louder, they get out of bed and hop the baby gate, visit with each other in each others bed, jump on the beds and throw toys at each other until one girl tells the other she's tired and goes to sleep. This process is about two hours at night and over an hour at nap time.
Today however they did all of the above with me going back to tell them in a very firm and serious voice "GO TO SLEEP!" about 20x. Fast forward 30 minutes and I'm on the phone but can still hear them up there moving around. I get off the phone and go up to find that they had trashed the freakin room! Every article of clothing is thrown across the room, some of it in a big heap on the floor and the flippin curtains are down! Neither of them is even in her own bed and one of them crapped her pants. FREAKIN GREAT!
I put a new pull up on one, put them both in their beds and threaten that they will never come out again if they don't go to sleep (why do I bother with empty threats? They know it will never happen but I've got nothing!).
Tonight I'm going to figure out a way to tie them into their beds............there has to be a way......
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
fun with photo booth and rasa's new hair
Mac's have built in photo booth software that the girls love playing with. It's a low quality built in camera but it's fun to play with, especially when you're a kid. I should add these pics are from 11pm on Saturday night when the girls were on sleep strike.You might notice Rasa's new hair. Yep I cut it, regret! Her hair was always in her eyes and she doesn't let me put it up or pull it back so I thought bangs might be her deal. You can't tell what a hack job I did in the pics but hopefully it grows back ok! I think I see a trip to the beauty parlor in her future. Today she was holding her hair and said, "You messed me up with the scissors!". Opps. Adia's hair is so easy to cut because it's crazy curly and I guess since I spent years cutting my own hair it was natural instinct for me....Rasa's hair....not so much. Sorry pumpkin!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Yep these are mine....
Ah the beauty of having two three year olds. Warning: ya might want to crank the ol' volume DOWN
This was even after they ate lunch, but I could tell they were tired so I opted to do nap time a little ahead of schedule for obvious reasons........
Sometimes I think I would like a video of an entire "normal" day with the girls so I could play it in fast forward and then it would solidify why I'm exhausted at the end of the day. I can picture it.....me up and down the stairs, running to get snacks, toys, searching for the blue marker when no other color will due, mediating 100+ tiffs between the girls, keeping them from climbing onto the kitchen counters, the table, the washer and dryer, closing the refrigerator door fifty times as they leave it open constantly, potty accidents, pull ups, poop, spills, distraction, messes constantly everywhere, reading time, puzzle time, distraction time, quiet time, keeping lucy safe indoors, fielding the "i wants", meltdown mediations, answering the why what and who's, cuddle time, kissing owies, ice packs, water (not this cup, I want the princess cup, I don't like this cup), opps! mommy I broked it's, bundle up and outside times, loading into the car seats and out and back in, quick trips here and there because it can't wait 'till daddy gets home times, clinic times, waiting room times, book club times, play dates, grandparents visit times, bath times, flooded bathroom times, adia plugged up the toilet with five rolls of toilet paper times, flooded kitchen times, trying to make lunch while doing all of the above times, trying to make dinner while doing all of the above times.
I'll keep adding as I remember but this is sacred time.......nap time, peace for Momma time, quiet time....too bad it only lasts an hour.
This was even after they ate lunch, but I could tell they were tired so I opted to do nap time a little ahead of schedule for obvious reasons........
Sometimes I think I would like a video of an entire "normal" day with the girls so I could play it in fast forward and then it would solidify why I'm exhausted at the end of the day. I can picture it.....me up and down the stairs, running to get snacks, toys, searching for the blue marker when no other color will due, mediating 100+ tiffs between the girls, keeping them from climbing onto the kitchen counters, the table, the washer and dryer, closing the refrigerator door fifty times as they leave it open constantly, potty accidents, pull ups, poop, spills, distraction, messes constantly everywhere, reading time, puzzle time, distraction time, quiet time, keeping lucy safe indoors, fielding the "i wants", meltdown mediations, answering the why what and who's, cuddle time, kissing owies, ice packs, water (not this cup, I want the princess cup, I don't like this cup), opps! mommy I broked it's, bundle up and outside times, loading into the car seats and out and back in, quick trips here and there because it can't wait 'till daddy gets home times, clinic times, waiting room times, book club times, play dates, grandparents visit times, bath times, flooded bathroom times, adia plugged up the toilet with five rolls of toilet paper times, flooded kitchen times, trying to make lunch while doing all of the above times, trying to make dinner while doing all of the above times.
I'll keep adding as I remember but this is sacred time.......nap time, peace for Momma time, quiet time....too bad it only lasts an hour.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Rasa Bea age 3
Rasa and I hung out for an hour while Adia napped today. I love getting one on one time with the girls probably because it hardly ever happens but it's good for us. It's good for me to separate the two of them and appreciate each of their qualities without comparison to each other and without thinking of each of them as a set. I'm sure it's a common dilemma for parents of multiples. You notice their differences all the time and similarities too but you don't have much of an opportunity to zone in on each of their own little beings. I'm making a conscious effort to do this a lot more often.
Rasa is a different kind of kid. She was a different kind of newborn, a different kind of baby and a different kind of toddler too. The more I work with other children the more I see that about her. I sometimes call her my Karma kid. She's detailed, obsessive, articulate and she knows what she wants, doesn't care if it's different than what we want for her and is EXPRESSIVE with her feelings....ALL OF THEM.
She's mature, extremely so. A true grown-up in training. When she isn't by my side watching my every move, she's off practicing it because she's learning when I'm not teaching. Learning from watching my hands, my arms and legs, my facial expressions. She knows how to operate my laptop, click, open and enlarge pictures she wants to view, only from watching me edit. One of these days I'm going to come down and she's going to have edited a session in my que (SWEET free labor!). She's got a little silly in her but catches herself quickly and is guarded about it. She is untrusting of new people but appreciates adult subtle humor. She seems to find goofy child humor obnoxious. She is so cool. So cool. I've worked with a lot of two and three year olds and none of them take direction well when it comes to me attempting to photograph them. It's all about me running in circles around them trying to guess their next move and shoot quickly before they get bored. Rasa's never been like that.
I used to try to get her to "lighten up" and be a kid......but then I realized she is a kid. She doesn't want to "lighten up". She wants to observe, to take notice, to comment, to take it all in and analyze it. That's who she is and I'm in awe of it.
I'm excited to see her grow. To see her discover and learn as she starts school. To find out what excites her, motivates her and where her passions will blossom. I know she will always be different and different is wonderful to me. It's what makes us exceptional.
I love you Rasa Bea. You have this extremely special place in my heart that belongs only to you.
Rasa is a different kind of kid. She was a different kind of newborn, a different kind of baby and a different kind of toddler too. The more I work with other children the more I see that about her. I sometimes call her my Karma kid. She's detailed, obsessive, articulate and she knows what she wants, doesn't care if it's different than what we want for her and is EXPRESSIVE with her feelings....ALL OF THEM.
She's mature, extremely so. A true grown-up in training. When she isn't by my side watching my every move, she's off practicing it because she's learning when I'm not teaching. Learning from watching my hands, my arms and legs, my facial expressions. She knows how to operate my laptop, click, open and enlarge pictures she wants to view, only from watching me edit. One of these days I'm going to come down and she's going to have edited a session in my que (SWEET free labor!). She's got a little silly in her but catches herself quickly and is guarded about it. She is untrusting of new people but appreciates adult subtle humor. She seems to find goofy child humor obnoxious. She is so cool. So cool. I've worked with a lot of two and three year olds and none of them take direction well when it comes to me attempting to photograph them. It's all about me running in circles around them trying to guess their next move and shoot quickly before they get bored. Rasa's never been like that.
I used to try to get her to "lighten up" and be a kid......but then I realized she is a kid. She doesn't want to "lighten up". She wants to observe, to take notice, to comment, to take it all in and analyze it. That's who she is and I'm in awe of it.
I'm excited to see her grow. To see her discover and learn as she starts school. To find out what excites her, motivates her and where her passions will blossom. I know she will always be different and different is wonderful to me. It's what makes us exceptional.
I love you Rasa Bea. You have this extremely special place in my heart that belongs only to you.
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