Looking at ...

on One Step Ahead Baby. I used to chuck this catalogue as soon as it arrived, but now I'm actually looking at every page and noting a few baby items that seem like some must haves.

These placemats are reusable and will stick to tables. Great for going out to eat or even at Grandma's house who may not like blueberries smushed into her kitchen table.

The snack traps. Good for the car, stroller, or even around the house so cheerios stay out of Zeus and Zoe's tummies. Love the strap feature.

Really cute Monkey Halloween costumes. I've often called them my little monkeys, especially when they are jumping in their cribs after naptime.

Stove Guard. They can't reach yet, but they sure do like to try and it worries me to no end.

Travel Bed. Not sure if I'm sold on this one ... what keeps them in this thing once they are mobile? Nothing like putting your babies to bed at Grandma's house to find them crawling down the hallway five minutes later. But, a pretty neat idea. Wonder if this might be good at the beach or if it would become a parasail for infants!

Alright, off to look for something a little more interesting ... like shoes.

Something must be terribly wrong

I had to drive to Charlotte to set up for a trade show yesterday. On my return trip, I decided to stop at an outlet mall for "lunch." Oh, who am I kidding? I was going for the Sak's Off 5th store, but we can call it lunch.

I looked around Off 5th, Ann Taylor Loft, Gymboree, Polo Ralph Lauren, Banana Republic, TJ Maxx / Home Goods, and Brooks Brothers. Couldn't find Gap and Ann Taylor ... I'm wondering if they have closed.

Guess who got lucky? Hubby! I picked up 3 of Brooks Brothers dress shirts and two polo shirts for him.

Guess who didn't get lucky? Maddy, Libby, and me.

I couldn't find anything for me that I was just dying to have and just didn't have any luck at Gymboree for the girls even though it seemed to be full of cute clothes.

I have decided that I need to be nominated for What Not To Wear. Seriously. So many of the new blousier dresses and tops look so cute, but I'm not sure if they are cute on me. I think I just need someone to shop for me and make me look good. Sigh. Any takers? You nominate me & I'll nominate you. I could easily spend $5k on a new wardrobe so as not to look like a middle aged part time stay at home mom.

Did I tell you ...

That I ran a half marathon? Well, I did. But, not really.

Our training plan this past Saturday was for 13 miles and my running partner and I ended up going 13.09. I might have gone the full 13.1, but someone accidentally turned off Garmin and forgot to hit "start", so I'm not 100% sure. Yep, that would have been me, so I was trying to do math while running to figure out our time and distance. And for anyone who runs, you probably feel the same way ... or at least I hope you do. Math+running just doesn't happen. No idea why my brain turns to mush when trying to do simple math while running. I just can't do it.

It was strange to essentially run the entire race, but without all the fanfare, cheering, porta potties, and crowds. No one passing out little cups of water and Gatorade, no pre race Expo, no iced towel afterward. I did get a few cheers from the rest of my running group, some lovely ice cold water, and good stretching when I got home.

But, I know I can do it and will be running it again in less than 2 weeks! We are tapering right now and suddenly 4 miles during the week sounds so short and easy.

If this ...

is what 14 months is like, I'm in trouble.
Happy 14-month-birthday, girls.

I love you more and more every day.

xoxo,
Mama

Wouldn't you?

So, we did it. Maddy and Libby will start a Mother's morning out program two days a week.


I'm excited.


For them to have different opportunities than what I can do at home (music every day, a neat outdoor playground with features that are the perfect size for them, more kids to meet and interact with, etc). For me to have nearly 4 hours twice a week to have uninterrupted time to work, run errands, work out, etc.


So, if you found the absolute cutest pink polka dot backpacks, don't you think they need them? You know, to hold their change of clothes, lunch, sippy cup, extra sweater, diapers, and lipgloss? Oh wait ... so maybe the lipgloss is a few years down the road.



Wouldn't you really need them especially since you found a PBK gift card literally burning a hole in your wallet? Plus, there's a free shipping offer going on now. Yes, I know the backpacks are probably bigger then they are, but still. Aren't they adorable?

Firsts

A week of firsts ...

• We are going to look at "school" i.e., Mother's Morning Out for Maddy and Libby. They would go two days a week, it's at a church five minutes from our house, plus we personally know one of their teachers, and have heard nothing but wonderful things about their program. How can we not do it?

• A mammogram for me on Friday. Whoopee! (By the way, it's routine.)

• 13 miles on Saturday for my half marathon training. Wowee. For the other halfs that I've done, the most I've run during training is 10 miles so it's a little scary and exciting. It's kind of crazy when you look back at the entire mileage from the training. It's a lot. Or a lot to me.

Happy

It's amazing how sunflowers can brighten your day. I brought home six on Saturday morning. I realized that six looked puny in the vase, so Hubby went out later that day for six more.

That's what I call a good Hubby and a neurotic Wife.

Real Tears

It's not often that we have "real tears" from Maddy and Libby. There's the normal whining and fussing, but when we have "real tears", it generally means something big. Someone is hurt or scared.

Well, today Libby has been stealing Maddy's pacifier. All. Day.Long. Libby would have one in her mouth and still pull Maddy's out of her mouth and it usually ended up on the floor.

I had told Libby no, replaced Maddy's paci, and she would do it again. I repeated this version a few times, then finally moved them to separate areas of the room with some individual toys.

Sure enough ... they found each other and it just kept happening.

And then Maddy had the real tears. Her paci sat on the floor within her reach, but she just sat there and cried.

I know there are probably some twin Moms out there shaking their heads, saying "Just wait. That ain't nothin'. ", but it just broke my heart for Maddy, made me want to show her how to stand up for herself, and also made me a bit frustrated with Libby for being mean to her sister.

I'm not quite ready to take away the pacis just yet. I may be tempted to make them a bedtime/naptime only treat, so this doesn't become a constant struggle.

And tonight, my heart broke a little again. I had given the girls a bath and Libby was already in her PJ's in her crib. I was drying off Maddy's hair while she sat on the changing table. Libby started to fuss a little and Maddy pulled her paci out of her mouth and extended it in her hand to her sister. After all the "fighting" today, Maddy still wanted to be sweet to her sister.

I guess that's what being a good sister is all about.

Child labor laws

Now we're talking. This Productive Parenting activity was in my email inbox this morning. Think it would hurt to add a few squirts of Scrubbing Bubbles while we're at it?

I think I'll also teach them how to vacuum and mop, fold laundry, clean toilets, and unload the dishwasher.

Too much for one-year-old?

I could just sit back, delegate, and eat bon-bons. Ahhhh.

Perspective

Hubby and I met to look at a Mother's Morning Out program earlier today. Unfortunately, I had confused my dates and the school was closed. Since it's rare that we have much time that it's just the two of us, he asked if I wanted to go grab a cup of coffee. Since I can rarely turn down Starbucks, I said yes. Maddy and Libby were already with a sitter so I had some time.

We were just chatting about general stuff, drinking our coffee, and people watching. We had both noticed an older gentleman with a walker, US Navy hat, and his own coffee mug.

He was one of those guys that I thought to myself is some old codger, yelling at kids, shaking his cane, barking orders, etc.

He was sitting in the corner and I didn't really think twice about him. He walked over to get napkins and said hello when he passed our table. Of course, Hubby who has never met a stranger immediately engaged him in conversation and asked him a question about his hat.

We ended up chatting with this man to find out he had served in the US Navy during WWII, met his bride in NYC at a dance while he was also in training classes, but opted not to get married until he returned from overseas, heard the story how his boat was almost attacked by a kamikaze plane, but narrowly escaped. He was a little hard-of-hearing, but charming and funny. He even showed us photos of he and his wife on their wedding day, some when he was stationed in Hawaii, and it truly was a pleasure to see the excitement that he had to talk about his family and what the Navy had meant to him.

We stayed a little longer than we probably "should" have, but it was so worth it to have met him. Plus, he told us a funny joke and if I can remember it correctly, here goes.

God made Adam and had to get Adam acclimated to his surroundings. God told Adam that he would need to walk down the Valley. Adam didn't understand what a "valley" was, so God explained. Next, he would need to cross the river. Again, Adam didn't understand what a "river" was, so God explained. God also explained how he would walk up a hill, find a cave, and meet Eve. He also explained to Adam how once he met Eve, they would need to reproduce.


Adam set off on his journey down the valley, through the river, up the hill, and into the cave. A few minutes went by and Adam walked down the hill, waded through the river, scrambled up the valley and went back to ask God a question.


Adam asked, "God, what's a headache?"

This gentleman also reminded us that husbands are to obey their wives, that if Mama ain't happy, nobody's happy, and to complete one act of senseless kindness every day.

Not what I was expecting out of my trip to Starbucks, but encouraging and rewarding nonetheless.

Better late than never

I had forgotten about these shorts that I pulled out of the closet today.
At least I can wear them before Labor Day and then I feel like I need to pack them away for another season.

Oh, and a few side notes ...
* Mine aren't the pink & green pattern, but I wish they were.
* I think the price has gone up considerably since I bought mine.
* Or I must have found them on sale.
* Or I had a very weak moment.

Damn, I just looked and the pink & green ARE on sale. Still $44. Damn.

Who knew?

If you want your entire family (yourself included) to take a nice afternoon nap ... have them all go work at your church nursery for a 3-hour shift. Well, I guess Hubby and I worked while Maddy and Libby checked out all the other kiddos, ate their weight in cheerios, and enjoyed new toys, puzzles, and books.

Once we got home, Maddy and Libby slept for over 3 hours and Hubby and I both napped for well over 1.5 hours.

Pure lazy Sunday bliss.

Hubby and I also had a nice, real live date yesterday afternoon. First movie we have seen in well over a year. His parents came to visit, kicked us out of the house, so we went to see Julie / Julia and it was wonderful. The theater was packed with young and old alike and there were a ton of laugh out loud moments. We topped that off with yummy burgers and beers at a downtown Brew Pub. The weather was nice enough to sit outside, which is always a plus in my book. It felt wrong to go out to eat after watching that movie, but there was no way I was going home to fix up a little french cuisine! I do have a bit of a craving for Beef Bourguignon. Maybe I'll get brave and try it.

Playing along

Kelly's Korner is hosting "Show us your life ... wedding reception & honeymoons." I can't find some of our honeymoon photos ... they may be on the old desktop computer. So, here is a glimpse at what I could find.

Our reception was held at a great downtown place in our city. It wasn't our original location, but it turned out to be perfect. Nothing like stressing a bride out to hear that the City Club where you booked your wedding reception was closing!

Here is a photo of our cake. I've blogged a million times about Maxie B's who made our cake and they are still one of our favorite bakeries. We had different flavors for each layer: raspberry lady (white cake with raspberry jam), chocolate with raspberry, red velvet and peanut butter. All with cream cheese frosting. Yum. We displayed my Great Aunt Lucy and Great Uncle Horace's wedding toppers that they had used at their 1927 wedding. I found a similar cake in a magazine ... it was square (our invitations were also square) and just had simple piping and our monogram.

Here is our first dance to "It Had to Be You."
Here is a photo of our "guest book." We had everyone sign it at the wedding and reception. It now hangs in our dining room and I absolutely love it. I had a calligrapher write our names, wedding date and information, along with part of 1st Corinthians that was also read at our wedding.

We also served ice-cold milk (regular or chocolate) along with our cake. Here are the martini glasses lined up and ready. Not sure if anyone drank milk since they had the choice to opt for the open bar. Who knows?
I love this shot that our photographer captured towards the end. We truly had an evening surrounded by our family and close friends ... exactly what we wanted.
We didn't leave for our honeymoon until Monday morning and I never regretted that decision. I was wiped out on Sunday, so we had the day to spend with family, open presents, finish packing, and rest.

We honeymooned in Antigua in the British West Indes and stayed at the Blue Waters Resort. It was wonderful. They are a relatively small resort (80 rooms, I think) and were so attentive and great. The grounds were gorgeous and we enjoyed a lot of pool, beach, and relaxing time while we were there.

Antigua was a perfect mix of relaxing and exciting. We did some great tours (the 360 degree speed boat tour, snorkeling, swam with sting rays) and we also did a lot of vegging, reading, and relaxing at the resort.

One of the little umbrellas on the beach at our resort. Beaches are small in Antigua (compared to other areas), but there 365 beaches across Antigua. There are definitely no long strolls on beaches here.

One of the sunsets at the resort.
We met another couple who shared our wedding date (Nov. 12, 2005) and we ended up enjoying some meals together and also doing a few outings. If you knew my husband, you would understand that he's never met a stranger. It was actually really fun and we still stay in touch with this couple and were excited to hear that they just had their first baby a few months ago.

This is after a great meal at Viveyn's.

Enjoying a Wadadli on the 2nd evening there.


Like Kelly said, I look back at these pictures and had forgotten the tan and skinny part. I think this is before we ventured out into town for shopping one day.


This last photo is at an amazing bed and breakfast called Harmony Hall. If you are ever in Antigua, you must go here. No, I'm not kidding. It may still be one of the best meals of my life and amazing views.

T. and I enjoying our lunch.



When you arrive, you are asked if you want to take a little boat cruise. They take you out to this little island where you are free to walk around and enjoy the private island before your meal. We had fun exploring and I wish I had my photos of this!

When we returned, we noticed employees carrying up burlap bags. With fish that is about to be cooked for you. It is really that fresh. Bread and butter - beyond amazing. Wonderful desserts. Seriously ... everything here was amazing. They had a great art gallery and shop with art, pottery, jewelry, clothing, soaps, etc.

Sigh. Would love to go back ... Blue Waters has a great house called the Rock Cottage that we have always talked about getting a group of friends together and renting it. Can you tell I've enjoyed my stroll down memory lane? Wish I was sitting under one of those little thatched umbrellas right now!

I can admit

I think y'all know that I've been on a kick trying out new fruits and veggies with Maddy and Libby.  Kiwi?  Love it.  Mango?  Ditto.  Avocado?  Yep.  I saw a recipe in one of my baby books for brussel sprouts and I thought I would give it a try.

I will admit as a thirty-something-year old, I have never eaten a brussel sprout until today.  Growing up we ate a variety of fruits and vegetables, but they were all what I will call the "normal" variety - corn, lima beans, bananas, strawberries, green beans, etc.  Honestly, I ate a lot of grilled cheese up until high school, so I probably didn't eat many veggies until then either.  Not that my Mom still didn't put those 5 damn green beans on my plate every night.

The recipe I used said to trim the bottoms of the sprouts, but to keep the leaves intact. Next I washed and dried them.  I put a little EVOO in a container and threw my sprouts in.  Coated them and put them on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil.  I added a little salt and pepper and popped them in a 425 degree oven.

The original cooking time was 15 minutes and flipping them at the halfway point.  I didn't cook nearly as many as the recipe called for, so I cut my time in half.

When I pulled them out, they were crispy on the outside and still tender inside.  They had a good cabbage-ish flavor, but I loved that crispiness to them.  

I added them to M&L's lunch today, so they enjoyed baked chicken, rotini pasta with cheddar cheese grated on top, tomatoes, the brussel sprouts, kiwi, and plums.  Oh and a little milk.  And a few Annie's graham bunnies for dessert.  Thanks, ET!  

I was a little nervous that they may throw them on the floor.  There were a few funny faces, but they seemed to enjoy them and maybe left one on their tray.  

If you're like me and had never eaten a brussel sprout, try them out.  I think they would be yummy to roast some with new potatoes.  

Back in the day

Back in college, I took several photography classes. I used my Mom's manual Pentax camera, developed my own film, and had a blast. Film ... what's that? Sigh. I still remember fumbling around in the pitch-black closet to get the film out of my camera and the way the developer smells. I was never the star pupil, but it was always fun and I enjoyed the classes so much. Maybe one day, I can take another class and while I would stick to digital this time around, I'm sure it would still be a great experience.

It was always such a surprise when using traditional 35mm film to see what you would get at the end of your 24 exposures. Now, it's such instant gratification to see your results.

I took a few photos of Maddy and Libby the other day and got a few that I was very happy with ... and a whole slew of bad ones. I was playing around with a few different settings other than "manual" and I think I may start testing them out more.

Here are a few that I lovedThis is Maddy in her "look, Ma ... no hands" pose.

Libby - showing off those 2 bottom teeth.
I know she wishes those others would finally pop through.

Maddy looking very much like my Great Aunt Hazel and Great Aunt Lucy.
We've seen it in a few photos.
Maybe one day we'll figure out who they really look like beside each other!

This photo totally captures Maddy's spirit.

Sweet Lib. Curious and wrinkling her brow just like me & my Dad.

And then a couple of the "whoops" ones.
After all, it is kind of hard when you have moving targets!
Maddy bbbbblurrry.

Libby - Snapped it too late and blurry.

If you ...

pull out a white EYELASH will 13 more grow in it's place?  Or does that only happen with the hair on your head?  What about eyebrow hairs?

How old does this mean I am?

Thank goodness Thursday will bring highlights and a cut.

Come on, a white eyelash?  Does that really happen?

Maybe Libby will lend me some of hers if mine all go white.

Nap, no nap, nap, no nap.

If you had twin thirteen-month-old daughters who for the past two days have only taken one nap a day, would this mean they are trying to drop one of their naps?

Please, please, please tell me it's not so.

Yesterday, I ran with my running group and when I got home it was during their morning nap time.  Hubby said that they had been chattering for over an hour and he had tried several times to get them to go to sleep.  We finally went ahead and got them up, so we didn't mess up any other naps or sleeping for the rest of the day.  In the afternoon, we put them down at 1PM (their normal nap time), and they slept for almost 3.5 hours! WOW!  They normally will sleep for about 2, but I assume they were trying to make up for the hour or so that they didn't get that morning.

Today, they went down great for their morning nap and slept for about 1.5 hours.  Today, they went down around 1:30 and it was uggggly.  Lots of crying.  Lots of listening to the monitor and trying to wait it out to see if they'd fall asleep.  Two doses of Tylenol because there was a lot of hand gnawing, but no sleep.

When I got them out of their cribs for a snack, they happily ate and drank.  Now they are playing and life seems good.

I thought they would transition to one nap around 18 months.  Is this just a fluke?  

Show Me Your ...

I'm playing along again with Kelly Korner's thousands of followers with her Show Me ... Your Wedding Party & Flowers/Ceremony.  It's been fun to look back at these photos.

Before the ceremony with my girls.  I've known all of them since nursery  or elementary school and still talk to them all on a regular basis.  I also went to college with and was in the same sorority with the top two.  I went to grad school, lived with, and traveled to Yellowstone with the one sitting beside me.  Good ol' days!

    Sadly, we now all live in different cities, 

but talk or Facebook on a regular basis and try to see each other whenever possible.  

Here is a photo of our flowers.  Pre-kids, I could tell you what the type of roses were, but I don't remember anymore.  My bouquet was mainly white hydrangea and green berries.  My bridesmaids' bouquets were mainly the roses and berries.  

Here is a photo from our ceremony.  Due to a wedding miscommunication between our wedding coordinator and photographer, she was made to stop shooting.  Ugh.  So frustrated that it happened, but what do you do?  This is the church that we belong to and we absolutely love it.  At least we were all listening to our Pastor as he was giving his sermon.  Our church has some neat history as Charlton Heston was married there!

Praying during ceremony.

I loved these little wreaths that reserved the family rows.  I think that's Uncle Bill either nodding off or deep in prayer.  Probably the former.

The string quartet playing before the wedding and our arrangement that we had at the church.  It was the same roses as the bridesmaids, bells of Ireland, and I'm sure some other flower that I can't remember now!

Daily Musings Thursday

Purge.  

I went through my undergarments drawer and pulled out any bra that no longer fit, was a nursing bra, or was a jog bra that rubbed or chaffed.  I did the same with underwear .  That left me with about one bra that really fit well, and three jog bras that fit well, and a handful of underwear.  I purchased four new bras so I now have a nice variety of bras that fit, and new undies.  I did allow myself to keep one strapless bra, and the red lacy number that I bought in Paris.  Not that either really get worn, but you never know when you may need them. 

Shorts. 

These Nike tempo track shorts are my new favorite.  No riding, no pulling, just sheer running bliss.  I always think they look good on everyone else, so hopefully they are doing the same for my legs.  I was concerned about thigh rubbage, but I wore them on a 9-miler and they were fine.

Ick.

How is it that I always keep getting conditioner in my ear?  This seems to have happened in the last couple of weeks, and I notice it when I'm going to dry my hair.  Yuck.  Have I forgotten how to apply conditioner in the shower?

Monkeys.

When I go into to get Maddy and Libby out of their cribs after naptime, they are usually standing up in the cribs and "talking."  I normally say hello, good morning, good afternoon or whatever appropriate greeting.  I open up the blinds, smooth their messy hair, and let them wake up.  If they take after me, they may need a couple of minutes to wake up after a good nap.  The funniest thing to me is that I can usually say "Two little monkeys jumping in the bed", and as if on cue, Libby starts jumping in the crib and laughing.  Maddy just normally looks like me like I'm silly.  And who said twins don't have different personalities?

So, what's new with you?

In just 17 short days

The Mad Men series premiere! To make your own Mad Men caricature, go here. By the way, I am waaaay more busty on Mad Men than in my real life!

Whattya think?

I wish I could get the images the same size, but can you tell a huge difference in the two sofas shown below? Other than the couple of thousand dollars difference?

Does anyone know a way to keep two black labs from rubbing up against sofas? Beside using strategically placed sofa tables, chairs, electric fencing? Just kidding. I think.



Both are slipcovered, so they could be easily cleaned, and both are approximately the same size. One is from one of those stores that you typically want everything that you see on their shelves, and the other is one of those stores that I don't think I realized they even sell furniture.

Eat, drink, and repeat

We've been taking the girls to free concerts that take place in our city the past few weekends.  It's a great way for us to socialize with our friends, enjoy some music, and a little picnic.  It's also a good time for the girls to get out and socialize and they love that there are new people to watch, grass to touch, oh and snacks to eat.  I think they eat from the time we arrive to the time we leave.

 Oh, I miss my bottle.

.

Shoveling in food.

More snacks

New things that they have been doing lately ...

• While on the picnics, grabbing the container of fruit when their plates are empty as if to tell me to "hurry up, already."
  
• Making the "mmm, mmm, mmm" sound when they see the alphabet crackers aka cookies.
  
• Maddy slaps the tray of her highchair when she sees me coming with strawberries.  They love them and literally eat fistfuls at a time.
  
• Enjoying fresh fruits and veggies.  They love plums, pluots, mangoes, kiwi, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cantaloupe, pineapple, etc.  I try to find new fruits to buy just to watch them gobble them up.  Oh, my neighbor came around the following day after the Indian giver incident and brought us a boatload of tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers.  Maybe he reads my blog! 
  
• Libby has been making a "guh" sound when she sees the doGs.  I think it must be her way of saying "dog" and she's picking up on the G sound.
  
• Libby has taken a couple of unassisted steps about three different times.  
  
• Maddy hasn't ventured with the walking just yet, but looks so funny when I see her just standing in the middle of the room.
  
• They each have five teeth and Maddy is currently cutting two more (one on top, one on the bottom).  Libby is definitely showing all signs of cutting more, but I don't see anything at the surface just yet.
  
• Operation Sippy Cup  
  

Operation Sippy Cup has gone OK. We are one week without any bottles and while they don't drink nearly as much as they used to, we haven't had any major meltdowns.  They probably have gone from drinking over 24 ounces of milk a day to between 7-10 ounces a day.  Our Pediatrician would like to see this more around 20 ounces a day (including yogurt & cheese.)  I'm anxious to get them to drink more milk, but there's only so much forcing you can do to a 13-month-old.

I did buy a different kind of cup that I hadn't seen in stores.  It's called the Tilty Cup.  The first time they used it, you could tell that they were able to drink their milk so much easier. The cup is designed so the child doesn't have to tilt their head back as far and it has no valve, so the fluid flows much easier.  Genius!  My only complaint is that when these cups get dropped, the lid normally comes right off.  Zeus didn't mind, as he got to drink several ounces of milk from the floor, but I wish there was a better way to keep this lid secure.   So, I'm going to start trying the Tilty with water and not in the highchair so it's less likely to get dropped from several feet in the air.  Tilty, any safety latch mechanism you can add?

Summer is flying by and my babies are growing up way too fast.  I swear I look at them some mornings and I just know they have grown overnight.  Sigh.

Wedding Dress

I'm playing along with Kelly's Korner, Show Us Your Life and today's theme is posting your wedding dress.

I might as well get a little more use of it, so here goes.

Here we are in the church parlor, trying to get it down. That is me (with the veil) and my BFF and one of my Matron of Honors, Mad About Plaid Girl.

I think my feet are under there!

Leaving the church after our ceremony. You can't tell I was excited, can you?
Posing for a shot after the ceremony.
Dancing with Hubby for our first dance as Mr. and Mrs.

It took me a while to find my dress. I first tried it on at a boutique that is no longer open and broke out in hives. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing, but my friend D., who had gone with me assured me it was. I felt like I tried on every other dress available trying to see if I could find one that I loved as much as my own.

It was designed by Marisa and was pretty simple, with the exception of the crystals and pearls that embellished at the waist. The dress was heavy, and full, and had a long train that I ended up getting dirty before the ceremony. Oh well ... it seemed like a huge deal at the time, but it never mattered. It's now safely stored and I would love if Maddy or Libby decided to wear it one day.

Faces

What does it mean?

I met my group affectionately known as the "crazy running girls" this morning, 5:45 AM to be exact.  We ran our 4.5 mile route, talked about life, solved world problems, complained about hills and humidity, discussed birthday cakes, and made it back to our cars.

While we were stretching, one of my running buddies looked down at me and said, "You're shirt is on inside out!"

All I could do is laugh since I had run the whole way and never noticed.

Do you think it's because:

A) I run at 5:45 AM and am too sleepy to even notice if I'm wearing a shirt, let alone if it's on the right way.

B) I often get dressed in the dark so as not to disturb sleeping Hubby and sleeping babies.

C) I had forgotten to lay out a shirt the night before, so I had to sneak into the closet to grab one off the shelf to wear.  

D) All of the above.

What to do, what to do.

Wasn't it just last year that I was pimping myself out to the Internet to find a job? Well, guess what? It's that time again

I am still currently employed, but found out that my job will be coming to a close at the end of the year. I appreciate the advance notice, but I just can't ignore this feeling like a huge rock in my stomach every day.

My current job is part-time and from home and is honestly, almost perfect. Unfortunately, my company is facing some serious competition near where we are headquartered, so they have realigned the entire marketing budget/efforts and will be cutting 4 positions, including mine. They employ several people who do what I do, but in different markets across the US.  The good thing and bad thing about my company ... they are small enough to make quick decisions.

And as many of you know, our state unemployment rates seem to do nothing but climb.

I also work in marketing and if any of you are searching in that particular category, you know what kind of jobs you typically find.

*SPORTS MARKETING!!! GREAT PAY!!! FLEXIBLE HOURS!!!*
Um, no. I'd rather not get dropped off in a neighborhood and hawk magazine subscriptions for a living.

*WORK FROM HOME. MAKE $$$$*
Um, no again. I don't want to pay you equal monthly installments of $129.99 to give me a "job." 

*AVON SALES REPRESENTATIVE*
Not that I have anything against Avon, but how did this end up in the marketing category?

So, here I am. Trying to be positive and continue to do a good job for my company for the rest of the year.

I'm faced with ... trying to decide if I'm really ready to go back to the days (if I can find a job) of 40+ hours a week, nice pointy-toed shoes, office coffee and office politics, and hopefully a rewarding job in marketing/pr. After all, my resume now looks more than spotty after 4 layoffs in the last 10 years.  Plus, it means that I have to leave two pint-sized "bosses" with someone else for 8+ hours a day.  I also have to factor in paying for care for those two pint-sized bosses. 

Or, could lightning really strike twice and I could find something that would be part-time, flexible, and give me time with the girls, but also time to turn on my brain in only a way that gainful employment does?  I just don't know if it's possible.  

Or, could I really be a full-time SAHM? Would I really be good at this? Do I have the sanity to do this? Can we afford this? Then if I wanted to go back to work when the girls are in school, and after 4 years of staying at home, would anyone really hire me?

I know that I have a while to think about this, but if I were to go back to work full-time, we would have to line up childcare.  Currently, I use a sitter service when I need it, but it would be way too cost prohibitive to use 40+ hours a week.  The childcare situation here, like so many other areas is highly competitive and we are still on waiting lists from when I was pregnant and still haven't received calls that our spots are open.   I really don't think I want to be back in the full-time arena yet and I also think that I'm not 100% suited for a full-time SAHM position either.

Clearly why my current job is perfect for me and I don't want it to change.  Can I just cross my arms and pout and someone will make it stay the same?

Feeling like Kanye

Ok, so maybe it's a stretch, but when he sings/raps about "Does anyone make real shi* anymore?", I felt like I could have asked "Does anyone give real customer service anymore?" when I was at my former bank today.

Hubby and I married in 2005 and had four bank accounts between us. We actually added another when we bought our house in 2007, but were still doing all of our banking separately. It drove me crazy, but much like the gift that Hubby has that he never balances his checkbook at all, but pretty much knows how much money is in his account at any given time.

We had finally decided to consolidate our accounts, move our direct deposits, and close the other accounts. I deemed myself "banker in charge" of the household and I now have a special drawer for any receipts and bills.

So, we went to close out two of our accounts today and receive a check so we could move this money into our savings account.

So, we wait ... and wait for the personal banking lady to come out and see us. We get a VP who takes us back and asks how she can help us.

We tell her that we need to close our accounts and get a check.

The only thing she really ever asked was, "Are you sure you need to close the account? We hate to close accounts." Never did she ask why we were closing (or we would have told her because of all of your new monthly fees), or even try to give us a sales pitch to get us to stay.

It just irks me, because I've been with this particular bank for over 15 years. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned or trying to live like it was the 1950's, but shouldn't businesses at least act like they care about you? Especially with the given economy?

And if it weren't for my addiction with online banking, I may just resort back to sticking my money under the mattress!

Operation Sippy Cup, Day One

Well, Day One went better than I expected. There was a little bit of fussiness, but no full blown tantrums or flying cups of milk across the kitchen. They didn't drink nearly as much milk as they normally do in a day, but they still ate well, slept well, and acted like normal happy babies. We tried to keep them distracted when it's normally time for the bottle and I made sure that they also ate yogurt and cheese in their meals.

I was so disappointed, because we had decided to go to the pool after their afternoon nap. We all had on our bathing suits, picnic dinner was packed, and we were almost ready to head out when Hubby remembered that it was "ladies night" at the pool. We called and everything was closing down to prepare for the event, so we ended up enjoying a little baby pool time in the back yard. The big benefit to this is that we can also add in the al fresco bath disguised as splashing in the pool. Somehow I think it would be frowned upon if I busted out the Baby Aveeno at the Swim & Tennis Club.

This is really just a boring post so I can keep track of how it's going.

Libby drank a total of 7 ounces throughout the day, and 2 1/2 ounces at bedtime.

Maddy drank a total of 4 ounces throughout the day, and 3 ounces at bedtime.

We only warmed up the night time milk. We used the 2 different Nuby's, but they seemed to like the taller cup. Honestly, don't all of these "cups" just seem like glorified bottles?

So, what are you doing ...

On this EXCITING Friday night?

After the girls were tucked in and Hubby was cleaning up the kitchen, I made the trek to the grocery store to stock up on necessities and some not so necessities.

Bananas, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, bread, whole milk, skim milk, eggs, avocados, fig newtons, Gatorade, coffee, olive oil & rosemary triscuits, and our EXCITING Friday night dinner.

Drum roll please ... California Pizza Kitchen BBQ chicken pizza. Yum. It's the kind with the rising crust that is the perfect happy medium between their thin crust pizza and too doughy super thick crust pizzas. It's become our Friday night ritual, because I have been running on Saturday's and it's a great carb loading meal. Plus, it's yummy.

Tomorrow begins Operation Sippy Cup. Poor Hubby will be starting Phase One while I'm out on a long run in the morning, so I hope it goes OK for him. The girls are great eaters and drink their milk of their bottle like little champs. I've tried to transition gently by giving part of the milk in a cup, but when they see the bottle, they throw huge fits that result in crying, screaming, and throwing themselves on whatever flat surface they can find and they won't even try the cup. Our Pediatrician recommended the cold turkey approach, so I'm hoping that it goes well.

I'm a bit nervous that I may come home to milk-stained walls and a frazzled Hubby, but here's hoping to find two happy, full-of-milk-out-of-cup girls and one happy Hubby.

Peas, Spoons, and Life Lessons

I picked up the book Cookies: Bite Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal several months ago. It is such a sweet book. The illustrations are beautiful as are the lessons. It's currently shelved in the girls' room, because it's what I like to call a big girl" book complete with a dust jacket and big pages that are way to paper-thin to be turned by one-year-old hands. I love to watch them flip the pages of books, but I normally just let them use their board books. We have so many that are now missing corners because they were also used as teethers.

We love to read to the girls and that is a big part of our nap time and nighttime rituals. One day I found out that Amy Krouse Rosenthal had written several other children's books that adults will love to read as well. While I love Goodnight Moon and have since I was a child, sometimes you just need to switch things up a bit.

I recently picked up Little Pea and Spoon to add to our collection. They both have great illustrations and sweet stories.

In Little Pea, Pea isn't looking forward to his candy that Peas have to eat for dinner, but he can't wait for dessert ... which turns out to be spinach!

I love Spoon, because it's perfect if you are ever having a down day. Spoon is a little jealous of the forks, knives, and chopsticks because of the exciting lives they lead. Spoon eventually realizes that he's pretty special after all.

There are several more that I think may need to come home with us. Little Hoot, Little Oink, and Duck Rabbit all look equally entertaining as well.

Dear Sweet and Unsuspecting Neighbor,

When you stop by my house between the hours of 9 and 10AM, it is highly likely that I will have two small napping children. You may even notice that the blinds that are usually open are closed on the front bedroom. And I will likely be taking a much needed shower since I haven't had one since Monday. Tuesday was a crazy nap day at the D. household causing one Mama not to bathe even though she had run 4.5 miles that morning and was stiiiinky.

Anyway, so after you ring the doorbell, please don't also knock. Very loudly. And several times. That will commence the two big black dogs to start barking. Loudly. Barking will commence two babies to start crying and screaming. Loudly.

All this while I am trying my best to get shampooed, conditioned, and clean.

When I run downstairs in my towel to try to console two screaming babies and get them back to sleep, and I peek outside my front door to see a bag of fresh veggies on the door knob and decide it's better that I leave them there and not show my lovely towel-clad self to all of my street ... please know that I really appreciate those veggies and think of how sweet you are to bring them and look forward to feeding them to the girls.

When it's decided by the screaming babies that naptime is over and I throw back on my PJ's and decide it's "somewhat" safe to open the door and step on my porch to discover that my veggies are now gone, it really disappoints me that you took them away.

WTF?

P.S. Since I didn't have time to blow dry my hair, you may not recognize me later today because it will be one big mess.

A few new products

I was in need of eye cream and eye shadow the other day and so far, I have really enjoyed both products that I picked up.

I have been wearing Bobbi Brown eye shadows for a few years. I always use very neutral shadows and I love that you can use her shadows as eyeliner, too.

I was going to buy two (a light vanilla color for my lids, and a dark for eyeliner), but they had this new nude palette that came with six shadows, so I went ahead and tried it. It has some great shimmery ones that still look very natural and I feel like they just brighten up your eyes. The colors all seem to mix and match very well and can be worn alone, or if you know what you're doing with all that highlighting business ... you can wear a couple of shades together.

I also picked up the Garnier Ultra Lift-Pro eye cream at Target. I am very religious about washing my face and I always use a daily moisturizer with SPF. I haven't been using an eye cream lately and I feel like I need it. Let's just say that I think the skin around my eyes has been looking a little tired lately. I think I had seen this promoted on Martha one day and so far, I really like the way it feels. There is a cream to use above your eye and a gel for under your eye. They aren't greasy or too thick, but seem to really absorb right into my skin and it feels soft after it's applied. I can't say that I've noticed a miraculous difference in the four days that I've been using them, but they feel good, so I'll keep it up. And for the price, you can't beat it.

Next up, I am almost out of my shampoo and conditioner and think I want to try something new. Hope my hairstylist doesn't read my blog. I like what I bought at her salon, but I'm not sure that it's worth the price. Any new faves or product lines out there? I used to be an Aveda girl, switched to Pureology, lately tried the Daviness line and now I wonder what will be next.