Partying Buddies

The buddies went to Ready, Set, Play! yesterday for a birthday party. The theme was Princess / Bob the Builder. That might sound odd, but for 3 year old boy / girl twins, it was perfect. February will be the month of birthdays for these two, as they've been invited to 3 parties. I suppose for the next 10 years or so, birthday parties will be a part of our usual weekend routine.





Neither of our two had any fear of the giant inflatable slides and bounce houses. After bouncing and sliding for two hours, wolfing down pizza, juice boxes, and cake, I took two tired boys home for a nap. Then, it was off to a dinner party play date at another friend's house. It was a busy, terrific weekend.

Happy Mardi Gras!

We had quite a treat this morning when we attended our play group's First Annual Mardi Gras Play Date. The hosting family moved here from New Orleans last summer and couldn't wait to share their traditions with us. I did not know this until the end of the party, but my new friend traveled back to New Orleans over the weekend to participate in the Krewe of Cleopatra's parade. She returned with King Cakes, beads, and piles of parade throw toys to share with us. And she even cooked up a big pot of red beans and rice for lunch. It was a blast!

Ace and Ben had fun throwing beads off the "balcony" in the backyard and dressing up in the coolest little jester hats. I told our host that it was the best Mardi Gras party I had ever attended. She told me I have led a very sheltered life. She could be right...

Dandelion Fields Forever

During an ordinary Saturday afternoon park trip today, we stumbled upon a huge dandelion field. They were everywhere! And after our visit, they'll return next year in even greater abundance. I showed the buddies how to pick them and blow on them and they were quick studies. In no time, they were running from flower to flower and sending their feather-light seeds sailing. It was a perfect way to spend a lovely winter afternoon.

It's Groundhog Day!

"As I look around me, a bright sky I see, and a shadow beside me. Six more weeks of winter it will be!" -- Punxsutawney Phil, 2/2/2008

Today, the buddies enjoyed a day long celebration of Groundhog Day. What better way to learn about shadows, hibernation, furry little buck- toothed animals, and a goofy weather predicting tradition, dating back over 120 years.

Ace and Ben began their day coloring their own groundhog pictures, while I explained in the simplest of terms the animal, the shadow, and the 6-weeks for winter that would follow if he saw it this morning. Later, we went outside to see if we could find our own shadows. As luck would have it (with the good luck being for my little lesson plan, not the eminent weather forecast) we found them! The buddies loved watching their shadows move when they moved, dance when they danced, shake when they shook, and so on. We drew chalk shadows in the driveway and watched our shadows dance some more. Later, we made groundhog cupcakes and delivered them to our favorite little neighbors.

And now that the buddies are fast asleep, no doubt dreaming of woodchucks and their shadows, Steve and I are going to have a "date night" and watch one of our favorite movies, Groundhog Day, of course!

An Old Friend and a New Friend

On Sunday, we enjoyed a visit from my college girlfriend, Bridget, and her gorgeous daughter, Grace. I hadn't seen Bridget since my wedding - but we picked up where we left off and caught up quickly. And the buddies have a lot of little girlfriends, but I'm not sure they've met any as sweet as Grace. They enjoyed showing off for her with their climbing and jumping tricks and Grace just giggled and watched the silly boys. Before we knew it, the afternoon had passed us by and it was already time to say goodbye. I hope it's not another 6 years before we see them again!

Pajama Party Play Date

This morning we hosted a pajama party play date for 19 of the buddies' closest friends. The kids all thought it was a blast to come over in their pj's, but truthfully, that was just my way of eliminating one task from my morning before everyone arrived. And what better way to spend a cold, rainy day than in warm pj's at home with friends! Some of the mommies (including me) stayed in their pajamas this morning too.
And, I was even lucky enough to get a kiss from my favorite blue - eyed son during the event. What a lucky mommy!

Road Trip!

The buddies and I are home from a long weekend road trip to Houston. We visited two of my college girlfriends and their families. Coincidentally, all of our husbands were out of town so it was just the three of us and our 6 kids under the age of four. It was quite a different kind of weekend than the ones we spent in college, but it was fun nonetheless.

We spent our days chasing kids, watching Disney movies, dining at McDonalds, baking cookies, and playing outside. And our nights were spent with three of my favorite things: red wine, chocolate, and girl-talk.

See the rest of the pictures from our trip here.

And as luck would have it, it is my turn to host our playgroup tomorrow. 23 of our favorite little friends will join us at our house tomorrow morning. Check back tomorrow to see my brilliant (at least I think so...) time-saving idea for the party.

Pizza Party!!

Does this look like fun or what?







Yesterday, at our weekly playdate, the buddies and I invited our triplet friends over for pizza party playdate today. We were so excited to see our little friends two days in a row! Our house was quite chaotic with five 2-year olds running around and just two moms to chase them. It was fun! And it made me grateful to just have my twosome!

Our Farmers' Market Adventure

This morning, the buddies and I met some friends downtown to explore the Austin Farmers' Market, a growers only, 100% local market. What fun we had! We filled our bags with organic oranges and grapefruits (and ate a few while there). Then, we discovered a stand filled with beautiful lettuce and radishes so we picked up some of each. And we couldn't resist the freshly baked wheat sourdough bread so we took a loaf of it home. Our favorite purchase was a pound of mushrooms, though I'll admit I was a tad nervous about serving them to my littlest family members since we purchased them from a couple of hippies. They were delicious and the buddies ate a ton of them with no ill effects.

After we had visited each of the stands, we spent some time enjoying the music of a band called "The Green Onions". Then, we walked to the top of a nearby hill and let the kids run around in the small urban park. Everyone enjoyed its nice fountain and had a blast splashing around the edges.

Once we returned home I busied myself creating a meal out of our newly purchased goodies while the buddies (and their cedar-allergy distressed daddy) napped. I am a bit obsessed with cooking these days and loved creating a meal from our market finds. When everyone awoke, we devoured chicken with mushrooms and swiss, a super-fresh salad, and roasted red pepper bruschetta (Ace and my favorite!) . I can't wait to return to the market this summer when the produce will be more plentiful.

Fun Times

The buddies have had a couple of fun days. Yesterday, we met our twin friends at a park for a playdate, just after a nice heavy rain. The park was one big mud pit. We arrived first and the buddies wiped down most of the wet slides (with the bottoms of their pants, of course). We're good friends, aren't we?






After our friends arrived, Ace, Ben, and their friend Matthew showed the other kids how to gather rocks and throw them in the "pond" (ie. giant mud puddle). After a few of the kids (including Ben) had waded a little too far into the muddle, I drew a line in the dirt and told all the kids not to cross it. Of course, our favorite triplet friends ignored me and went straight in, all at the same time. Their mommy had a lot of little shoes to wash when she got home.



Then, today was a rare day where we had nothing on our schedule, so we decided to pick up Daddy and take him to lunch. What a treat! After lunch, Daddy even invited the buddies into his office to pick a "sucker-pop" from his stash at his desk. We said a quick hello to all of his friends, ran down the long, fun hallways for a minute, and then headed on our way.

Fun at the Farm

This morning, we accepted an invitation to spend some time with my cousin and her family at their farm just an hour's drive out of Austin. We were all excited to leave the city behind us and run around in wide open spaces in beautiful 70 degree weather. It was a perfect day and after a week of very cold weather we couldn't wait to be outside.

Our hosts let us pile in the back of their pickup and took us on a tour of the almost 300 acre farm. We saw cows galore and all the beautiful ponds on the land. We can't wait to come back in the summer and go swimming! The buddies loved throwing rocks in the pond (though they got a little too close to the edge for my comfort) and also spent a good amount of time pretending to ride the lawn mower "tractor". And after lunch, they made bird feeders out of peanut butter, pine cones, and bird seed and then proudly hung them in the trees.

At the end of our very fun day, our two tired boys climbed into bed. Ben said, "I go a farm. I throw rocks!" and Ace said, "I go farm too! Ride tractor!" I think they liked it.

Four cousins and one Daddy, ready for the tour.

This is a scary picture. Ace was not getting ready to jump, but winding up to throw his rocks. The two moms behind cameras gasped when it happened but all was well.

"Not My Gumdrop Buttons!!"

We finally got around to decorating the gingerbread men that I baked (and froze) weeks ago. Can anyone guess which boy decorated each cookie?

The candy thief even had the audacity to snake some
frosting during my brief photo shoot! Hmmph!

And the day after Christmas...

With the exception of three meals and a quick trip to Target, this is what the buddies were up to today. I think Santa must know them pretty well.




PS - Thanks for the cool shirts, Me-Mom! :) :)

Christmas Day

Santa was certainly good to the buddies this year. Our big day started with a bang (and a big scream) when Ben awoke to find his eyes sealed shut with pink-eye gunk. What a day for that to happen! He was sure glad after he pried them open, as Santa had brought a new train table and set it up in the playroom. The buddies didn't even make it downstairs for breakfast or to see their stockings and other goodies for a good hour. And even after we did coax them down the stairs, Ben looked around at the presents and announced that he was going back upstairs to play with the train table. We spent the rest of the day opening presents between train table sessions. Ace was a little more game about unwrapping and was able to take on all the joint gifts while his brother glued himself to the train table.

Today, the day after Christmas, we are busy playing with all the toys. They also received scooters (Ace loves his and is quite skilled on it), a big Shrek (for Ben, who loves the green ogre), Ernie (for Ace, who is a fan), and tons of great educational toys from Me-Mom. More packages arrived today, so we'll have another present-opening session when Daddy comes home from work.

Below are a few pictures from the big day:

Ace and Ben's loot.

Ace, opening a gift from Me-Mom. Notice he is in regular clothes, not his Christmas jammies, as he insists on getting dressed immediately in the morning. No lazing around for this kid!

Ben, opening Clarabel.

An interesting tidbit: Each boy received one of Thomas' two coaches (Ace - Annie, Ben - Clarabel). They are almost identical, except Annie faces forward and Clarabel faces backwards. Each boy can distinguish one from the other (I cannot, unless I read the names) and adamantly prefer the one they were given. I'm am often amazed at how they distinguish between many of the similar trains in the series, but this one blows my mind a bit.

And last...our Christmas card wreath.
It's a bit garish and has taken over the front door, but we love looking at all our little friends. Our fridge couldn't hold them all last year so we had to try a new solution.

Christmas, Part 1

What a fun day we had yesterday! Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Carlee, Uncle Mike, and Cousin Michael visited our house to celebrate an early Christmas. The day was filled with family time, good food, presents, cookies, games, tickles, and lots of hugs. I suspect that when the buddies wake in a few hours to find an empty, quiet house, they will be disappointed.

Hyper Dash - a fun game if you need a last minute gift!

Even Grandpa played!

One Sugar High and One Big Mess

The buddies and I have been busy creating our holiday traditions. Yesterday, we decorated a gingerbread house and I was sure it would be an awesome experience that we'd want to repeat again and again. I'm not so sure now, but I definitely learned a few things from our first attempt.

1) Decorate after a meal. Duh! I don't know why I let the kids go at it right after they awoke from their nap. I handed Ben his bowl of candy and his eyes widened - he's never been given that much candy in his entire life. He ate and ate and ate, occasionally putting a piece on the house. When I finally clued in and took the bowl away, he ran around the kitchen in a big circle yelling, "I go! I go! I go!" He was wound up! And an hour later he only ate three bites of dinner.

2) Ration out the candy before hand and then put the rest out of sight. Again, duh! Ace, who does not have a sweet tooth, is a dumper. And he is very into doing everything by himself. So, while Ben was putting away more candy than he normally eats in a year, Ace was grabbing the bags of M&M's and gumdrops and candy canes and dumping them into his bowl and then Ben's, saying, "I do myself". There was candy everywhere (except on the house).

The good news is our house looks pretty good. Gingerbread houses are apparently very forgiving of small artists. Our house may not be a masterpiece, but it is certainly festive. The buddies couldn't wait to show Daddy when he got home.

Three Parties in Three Days

In the past three days, the buddies have attended three parties. On Sunday, they attended our neighbor's birthday party. On Monday, they had a Christmas party at preschool. And today, we joined our twin playgroup for a Christmas party, potluck, and gift exchange. I better come up with something exciting to do tomorrow, as they have come to expect a bunch of fanfare lately.

Ace, opening his Dr. Seuss book.

Ben chose a Dr. Seuss book as well.

Brrrr! A Chilly Party at the Amusement Park

Our neighbor and little friend turned four this week and invited the buddies to his birthday party. I have to say, I am glad our boys were born in April, since the thought of planning a birthday party amidst all the other holiday happenings might send me over the edge. But, we were more than happy to join our little friends at Kiddie Acres for the big celebration. The buddies love riding the rides there but before today had only been during the summer months. The crowds were much lighter today - only those attending little Will's party dared such an outing today, since the temperature was in the low 40's and we had 20 mph winds. Brrr! The parents huddled for warmth during the party but the kids barely seemed to notice. The birthday boy even declared that he did not want to wear his coat over his awesome Peter Pan costume but was visibly shivering.

For the first time ever, our buddies took a turn on the pony rides. The lines are usually too long for us, but they were not today, of course. They thought they were hot stuff on the little equines. They enjoyed all the rides, especially the train, ate some birthday cake, and then headed off to cheer for Daddy at his soccer game.

A funny note from the game: When the first goal was scored on Steve, the goalie, Ace said, "Oh no, Daddy! Daddy's so sad!" Even though his team lost 6-2, the buddies shouted, "Yea! Daddy did it! Great job!" after the game. Daddy couldn't be sad for long with such sweet fans.

Santa's Train

The mall is usually the last place you'll find me when there are just 12 shopping days left until Christmas. Our presents are wrapped and under the tree or traveling to various places across the United States. But, yesterday, I learned about a train at one of Austin's malls that the buddies just couldn't miss out on.



We arrived as the mall opened and the line to see Santa Claus was already 25+ families long. Thank goodness we took care of that before Thanksgiving. We met our triplet friends, (a.k.a. "the fearsome threesome"), in front of the train station and loaded onto the ride. Our kids enjoyed four laps around Santa and we even got a few bonus laps when the train had to stop to let a terrified, screaming child off. Don't let the buddies' serious expressions fool you - they loved the train ride. They are just very serious about their trains and sat on their bottoms enjoying the ride.

*Almost* Real People

Steve and I have been having the same conversation a lot lately. We are amazed that the buddies are almost real people now. We've taken most of the baby gates down to give them the ability to roam free around the house. They tell us what they want instead of throwing tantrums (and usually accept it if it is something they cannot have). When something hurts, they tell us and ask us to fix it. We have very basic, yet real conversations with them. Best of all, we are almost ready to ditch our stroller when we go out in public. After spending the last 2 1/2 years of my life practically attached to their heavy, bulky duo-glider, I won't be sad to pass it on to another family.

This morning, the buddies and I made a trip to Costco to buy some items for our Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve parties that are quickly approaching. As we completed our shopping trip, we stopped for our usual 1/2 pound hot dog and soda (for just $1.50!) at the snack stand. Instead of making them eat strapped into the cart, we decided to sit at the tables and eat, like "real people". They loved it and sat very nicely. And they took turns drinking our lemonade, passing it back and forth, saying, "Ace's turn!" and "Ben's turn!". I enjoyed my nice lunch date with my two handsome boys (although they don't have the nicest table manners yet - check out Ace, stuffing his hot dog in his mouth).