Meet the Browns...

if you give a girl a mouse

2012-01-30T22:05:00.008-05:00

"we need to get this for her. she wont always be this small and sweet and love her little mouse." that's the email i got from ceasar today.

let me back up 2 weeks. max is the classroom pet and he has been staying with us for 2 weeks. he's a plush toy from the kohls care book "if you give a mouse a cookie". the idea is that max goes home with each child for a week and the mom sends him back with pictures and stories added to the "max scrapbook". its a super cute idea and very creative of their teacher. at the end of a few months, the book will be filled out with really cute pictures and stories of all the kids and their families. really cute. really creative. small problem. my child gets attached to things. my child is super sweet and sensitive. my child was devastated today when it was time to take max back to school. felton didn't care. tristen was devastated. we are talking about the kind of sad that rips out your heart. she frowned so sadly that she couldnt even cry. you see, we got to keep max for two weeks since this household has 2 kids in the class. this was definitely not a good thing. tristen got attached.

so, the logical thing to do is well, teach her that she can't have everything... but that's just ridiculous. the other logical thing would be to just go out and buy her a max. however, it was a special edition/one time only plush toy created by kohls. gulp.

what did i do? i did what any normal mom would do....

EBAY! yes i sure did. and guess who won their bid today? guess who will be getting her very own max next week?

again, ceasar's response to my email telling him about our max experience this morning. "we need to get this for her. she wont always be this small and sweet and love her little mouse."

$7.95 later... i can breath. i cant wait to surprise her.

P.S. i found out today that im not the only crazy mom in the class...another mom bought her son a max off ebay too. lol. the things we do to see our kids smile.

this is why i rush home from work...

2012-01-23T21:07:00.003-05:00

they are always watching

2012-01-16T21:58:00.002-05:00

weve been having dance parties after dinner lately. it usually consists of katy perry on the ipod and us all dancing around acting crazy. saturday night, ceasar and i decided to actually dance together and this meant shagging to katy perry:). the kids stopped and watched in awe. they were just staring and smiling the entire time. they absolutely loved watching us dance with each other. i remember when i was growing up how happy it made me to see my parents happy.

today, i went for a run and came back to this video... ceasar said that he didnt prompt this at all. what a great reminder that t & f are always watching!

happy training

2012-01-13T16:48:00.009-05:00

my half marathon training is going really well. i started training a month late but jumped right in to the schedule and picked up at week 4. im actually a little surprised at how much i am enjoying the running. it doesnt hurt that i bought some shoes that are made for training and its made the biggest difference. my feet have thanked me daily. i was wearing shoes that were a size in a half too small. ouch!

i blogged earlier about my reason for running...to raise money for rally! its my charity of choice and i volunteer throughout the year. children's cancer research is a tough topic for anyone to talk or hear about. i don't think there is a human being out there (in their right mind) that can bare the thought of a child suffering. given that i have two little ones, its extremely tough for me to hear and see the rally kids that are suffering. therefore, i tend to volunteer more on the sponsorship and events side of the foundation. i have the industry experience and im always happy to help.

when signing up to run the race, i had to choose a rally child to run in memory/honor of... i quickly browsed the stories and immediately got sick thinking about the pain these children and their parents have to go through. while scanning the stories, i came across a set of twin baby girls... my browsing stopped. they were BOTH diagnosed at 2 months with neuroblastoma... yes, i know. their bio on the website had not been updated since they were diagnosed in 2007 and i was a little scared to ask... but i did. i figured, if im running with these two faces in my mind (along with 2 other little faces that will give me strength:), then i should at least know where they are today. i waited a day to hear back and my heart stopped when i got the email. truth be told, i was scared to read it. BUT, here is it

Bella and Maddie are doing GREAT!!! Beautiful girls, healthy and thriving!!! We should update their bio. It’s one of those cases where the parents were so overwhelmed at what happened, now that they are on the other side (thank you Jesus), they sometimes glance back but not often. When they do, they include me on the emails. I think there are some side-effects but not many.

It was so tough when they were going through it. They must be identical twins b/c the oldest one would get a symptom or reaction and the younger one got the exact same symptom or reaction eight hours later. Heartbreaking but today, Kim, they are thriving!!! That is why we support research. And their parents are 110% behind research! So precious that you picked them!!!

Rally On!
Dean

how can i not sprint up that next hill after reading this??? praise the lord!

it was a very merry sniffly christmas

2012-01-05T20:23:00.008-05:00

christmas 2011 was a hit. despite t & f both being sick pretty much the entire two weeks, we still managed to have a blast.

a few highlights:

31 days of christopher (our elf) flying around and making a new appearance each morning. who knew this would cause such excitement each and every morning? i still dont know how christopher flew around like that and landed in the perfect spot each morning. christmas magic i guess.

first christmas program at school. we got there an hour early to get front row seats! i felt like they were getting married when i was waiting for them to walk down the aisle. they were so cute and so proud. tristen was the perfect little angel and felton was a shepherd. what? you don't like my homemade costume? i think he looks great!

we had lots of cousin time. ashley (my sister) and her three kids drove up and spent the week with us. despite only seeing each other a few times a year, the kids warmed up to each other quickly and had a ball (three 3 year olds, a 5 year old and an 11 going on 16 year old). t & f also got to spend a few hours with their cousin taylor who's an absolute doll. again, rarely seeing each other, had a ball.

santa was a big success this year! t & f were all about him. they were so excited and told everyone what was on their list. tristen started asking a few questions about the logistics of santa but nothing to be worried about:). they were very consistent with their list and never wavered when people asked.

tristen (and i quote):

1. a feather for my hair

2. scooter

3. camera to take pictures

4. princess nail polish

check check check check.... she was a very good girl this year.

felton:

1. a scooter

2. a big buzz

3. transformers

check check check.... felton was dynamite too:).

like i said, the kids were fighting a bug pretty much the whole break so it really gave us an excuse to hibernate and love on each other all day long. once the extended family was gone (post Christmas through Jan 3rd), we pretty much didn't even get out of our pajamas until noon and the house stayed a wreck. lots of movies watched, toys everywhere and good food eaten. holiday bliss.

i know i say this all the time but just when i think it can't get any better.... it somehow does. this year was our best christmas yet. kids have a way of making christmas so magical.

hope you all had a merry christmas too!

happy new year!

2012-01-03T22:14:00.008-05:00

happy new year! ive been asked several times today if i made any new years resolutions. well, i typically don't make any "official" resolutions. however, i do always feel refreshed and excited about new opportunities when the new year arises. im typically interested in becoming a better person and making an impact where i can. sounds doable right:)? im particularly excited and challenged by my most recent commitment to run in the upcoming georgia half marathon. despite what ceasar is always saying, im really not a runner. unless its a gorgeous day out and im feeling just about perfect, i am usually counting my steps until my run ends. well, its really not THAT bad but i don't necessarily get the rush from running that some people do. but this run really isn't about me. it's about the Rally Foundation and raising money for childhood cancer research. im running for Rally! www.rallyfoundation.org

im not sure how many people follow my blog. i don't have any tracking systems and i don't have google analytics to tell me. i have friends comment (in person) to me about stories i have told which always surprises me because i really only get one or two people that actually comment on here (thank you sharon!:)). hoping that maybe i actually do have a few folks out there reading, i wanted to include my fundraising link below. thank you for reading and maybe even considering supporting my cause. happy 2012... i better get to running! brrrrrrrrrr

http://www.razoo.com/story/Kim-Brown-Fundraising-For-Rally-Athlete-Team-Georgia-Half-Full-Marathon?referral_code=share

if you ever want the truth, turn to your child

2011-12-19T18:13:00.003-05:00

kids say the darndest things....i came home from work today and randomly had this conversation.

felton: mommy, i love you.

me: awe, honey you are the sweetest

felton: i really love your jiggly tummy

me: ........

i think i know what i will be doing at the start of the new year.

giving thanks: never ending

2011-11-27T18:30:00.007-05:00

i enjoyed my daily (well almost) postings of my thankfulness. obviously i didn't include everything because i never mentioned my parents, my friends, my extended family and so on. i chose to keep things within my small/daily world and specific to happenings of the day. the great thing is, i have so much to be thankful for and not enough time to write about them all. in my opinion, thats a great place to be.

we had a very relaxing thanksgiving at my parents house. it started with a 5mile run around stone mountain, followed by a really great plate of cheesy apples (and other food of course) and ended with relaxation and sleep. we dont spend the night at my parents often but when we do, it feels like a mini vacation. we sleep in (kind of), eat lots of food (that i don't have to cook) and take great showers (they have the best water pressure!). in addition, the kids are in absolute heaven at mimi and poppi's house. they never whine or cry... hello, worth the drive right there! my parents are quite amazing and tristen & felton simply have the best grandparents around. they love my kids (well all their grandchildren) more than anything in the world and would do anything to see them happy. we are so thankful that we live close (relatively) to mimi and poppi!

thanksgiving really is a great holiday. it leaves just the right amount of time for reflection, appreciation and extra pounds!

giving thanks: day 18

2011-11-23T11:17:00.003-05:00

i am so thankful...probably the most thankful for date night with my husband. it has been WAY too long since our last one. oysters and beers with ceasar in the rain was a fun fun night. we went to one of our favorite spots, sat on the patio in the rain and talked. we didnt have to rush our meal and we actually ordered a second round of drinks. its the little things. very thankful for a husband that i would still choose after all these years.... and i really mean that.

giving thanks: day 17

2011-11-17T20:47:00.003-05:00

a thanksgiving feast with fifty 3 year olds... might sound crazy to some but it wasn't crazy at all. fifty toddlers staring out at a bunch of strangers and they were all so amazingly cute! they started with a very high pitched god bless america, then followed with a slow & concise pledge of allegiance, then a sweet thanksgiving song that was new to me and finished the performance with a prayer/blessing. sweet tristen kept her hand over her heart for all 3 songs. she was so focused (didn't miss a word!) that she forgot to put her hand down after the pledge of allegiance. when it was all over, she finally looked at me with the biggest grin. her teacher's call tristen their "rule follower". now that is just funny being that she is MY daughter. felton waved to me a few times but the funniest moment was when he got his hand stuck in his shirt and couldn't get it out. hysterical! he literally tried to get it out for 3 straight songs. he sang when he felt like it and wasn't nearly as concerned about getting it right. he was just up there looking like a ladies man. i video taped the whole thing but not on my phone which means i have no clue how to transfer the video onto here. maybe one day.

it was a proud moment for me. their first "performance".... a mom doesnt forget it.

im thankful for the preschool and all the hard work the teachers put into teaching & nurturing these kids. i know they get paid very little but they pour their hearts and souls into these little toddlers. im the most thankful that i get to see all these "first" moments. i get one shot at my kids "firsts" and i want to see them all!

giving thanks: day 14,15,16

2011-11-16T21:48:00.005-05:00

who says i can't combine a few thankful days...i make the rules around here.

#14 so very thankful for my job. the thing i love most about my job isn't even the job itself...it's the people. im very thankful for the good hearted people that i work with each day. from my boss to my peers to the people that i manage, they are all just extremely great people. it makes my time away from the kids much more fulfilling knowing im working with good good people.

#15 im thankful for our lap dog magic. some people say its a doggy dog world, but not so much in our house. our poor little guy gets pushed around and has definitely taken a back seat since t & f came along. magic was our only child for 7 years and i think its safe to say that he is "still adjusting". but, he loves our kids so very much. he's a good dog. a little annoying at times but a really sweet dog. not too mention, he matches the decor of our new home really well:)!

#16 last night's sleep...all 10 hours of it. im back!

giving thanks: day 13

2011-11-14T22:14:00.003-05:00

dear fantasy football: you steal my husband every single year! I don't like you...

im so thankful the nfl season is not year round.

giving thanks: day 12

2011-11-13T21:28:00.003-05:00

tristen has been giving me a run for my money the last few nights. actually its been off and on for a few months now. she goes through stages where she wakes up in the middle of the night for different reasons. night terrors are typically the culprit. regardless of why, its WHO that matters most to her. she only wants me. joy. she loves her daddy all day long but sure enough, come 4am, i somehow become the only person in the world she loves.

right before bedtime last night, i joked with ceasar that if i had another long night with tristen, that i was going to disappear when it came morning time (which is much earlier now thanks to daylight savings) so that i could catch a few extra zzzzzs. i told him that i expected HIM to make pumpkin waffles with extra chocolate chips (this is our sunday ritual but i am the one that always makes them) for the kids so they didn't come looking for me.

sure enough, i had a long night with tristen and when morning came, i disappeared into our guest room upstairs. i was so tired and just needed a few more minutes. i heard some rumblings downstairs but had no clue what they were doing. i figured ceasar probably plopped them in front of the tv and poured them some cereal.

i was woken up AN HOUR LATER (i.e an eternity) by my sweet kids serving me breakfast in bed. and we aren't talking cereal... pumpkin waffles (with extra chocolate chips), maple syrup and my coffee.

thankful thankful thankful.

oh, and he never even turned the tv on. shame on me!!!

giving thanks: day 11

2011-11-12T22:37:00.007-05:00

embrace simplicity. this was on the yard sign at our local montessori school this week. i absolutely love it and hope the school keeps it up or for a few more weeks.

we spent the entire day in our backyard today. we built a campfire and hung out all day long....played hide n seek, climbed up the tree house, rode bikes, had some friends over, ate chili and made s'mores.

im so thankful for simplicity. its my kind of saturday!

giving thanks: day 10

2011-11-11T21:58:00.005-05:00

happy veterans day!

i/we are so thankful to ceasar's dad for serving this country for so many years! ceasar talks about his dad's time in the marine corps with GREAT GREAT PRIDE. not to mention, felton & tristen are so very proud to call him grandpa!

Roosevelt Brown Sr.
Master Gunnery Sergeant

giving thanks: day 9.5

2011-11-11T07:35:00.005-05:00

i've been a little under the weather, so im posting .5 a day late.

this morning im very thankful for cheerios. for many reason really. they pay a portion of our bills (they've been my biggest client for 8+ years), my kids love to eat them, and best part of all, its the easiest breakfast in the world with very little clean up. i let tristen & felton pour the cereal and the milk and you would think i gave them a year's worth of cotton candy! tristen told me this morning "i love making breakfast for this family"...

so cheers to cheerios! we love you for making our mornings so easy.

giving thanks: day 8

2011-11-09T22:34:00.004-05:00

i have a fancy nikon camera but still don't really know how to use it. i snap all my shots in "auto" which is such a no no for real photographers. none the less, i typically take about 500 pictures during a week's vacation or at a big event and have captured some great moments during the first 3 years with the kids. but hands down, my favorite pictures of tristen & felton come from preschool picture days. they just make me smile. its the awkward poses, the cheesy backgrounds and the nervous kids staring into the light. they are amazing.

today, tristen & felton came home with this year's fall school picture and once again, they didn't let me down. ladies and gentlemen, i introduce you to my 90 year old married couple that just keeps getting cuter and funnier with each school photo. i am so thankful for these awkward moments caught on film. they are truly priceless!

2 year old fall preschool

2 year old spring preschool

3 year old fall preschool

giving thanks: day 7

2011-11-08T20:08:00.004-05:00

whoa. grab the tissue box...a friend of mine posted this on facebook last night and it is quite moving. if you are not in the mood for an emotional video, please skip it and just read my post! http://www.godvine.com/Mother-Hears-her-Daughter-s-Heart-Beat-One-Last-Time-649.html

i know this video is more about the family who tragically lost their daughter, but for me, i was also thinking about the mom who received the heart. during the birth of my babies, i suffered from pregnancy-induced cardiomyopothy (defined as heart failure in the last month of pregnancy). i had a perfectly healthy pregnancy but it became quite the ordeal at "go time". i had preeclampsia first, a stressed heart second, and then all my organs started shutting down. the doctors still aren't really sure what exactly happened but what they know for sure is that i suffered from cardiomyopothy due to the pregnancy. thankfully, i was holding my babies very shortly after and had a fairly quickly recovery given what my body had gone through!

i am very blessed to have a fully 100% recovered heart because this is not always the outcome. many women have weakened hearts (like the woman in this video) and are not able to fully care for their children.

i think its an understatement to say that today (and every day) i am so thankful for a strong and healthy heart.

p.s. i will try to be thankful for something a little lighter tomorrow:)

giving thanks: day 6

2011-11-07T20:38:00.004-05:00

as i was driving home from a pretty stressful day of work, i was trying to think of what i wanted my thankfulness thing to be today. my days in the office are always so busy that i rarely have time to even think until im driving home. as i was finally clearing my mind from work and able to focus on what i am thankful for, i was already pulling in my driveway. and that was it, i was already pulling in my driveway! my commute is amazing. it use to be 2 minutes and in my new home its approximately 7 minutes. thats almost unheard of in atlanta. in a city where everything is so spread out and traffic is horrible, i am so thankful for my short commute.

during my 7 minute drive this morning, (taking the kids to school which is across the street from my office), i was fortunate enough to have this lovely view in my rear view mirror. i almost wished i had a longer commute...almost.

giving thanks: day 5

2011-11-05T21:38:00.004-04:00

today im thankful that it's not bathing suit season. thank you sweatpants and sweatshirts... im so glad your time is here. ive been eating way too many sweets and not burning off nearly enough calories (zero to be exact if your counting intentional burned calories). the holidays are right around the corner too. scary! i haven't given up for the year just yet, but im really really close. we will see. im so all or nothing. if im not doing p90x (90 minutes a night, 6 days a week), why bother doing anything? kinda crazy, i know.

so for now, im gonna grab my sweatpants and sweatshirt and get comfy. matter of fact, today i packed away all my bathing suits and cover ups and put them down in the basement tucked far far away.

even though i love my summer days, today im very thankful that they are no longer here!

giving thanks: day 4

2011-11-04T15:51:00.005-04:00

fridays. i am so thankful for fridays. its the one day during the week that i get to wake up and be lazy with the kids (minus the weekends of course). its what i call my "mom day". i dont work and the kids dont have preschool. its just us. we typically wake up with NO agenda at all. i dont like to plan things because i like it to be a free day. the rest of the week is very scheduled with work and school but not fridays. i think that fridays are what taught me how to be a mom of twins. i learned how to get out of the house and truly enjoy the day with them...just the 3 of us.

today we ventured out with no plans at all and ended up having a fabulous day. shopping, lunch and a movie. we didnt last more than 3 minutes at the movie because the kids got scared and had a meltdown but it was fun none the less. now, i sit in my driveway (in the car) while the kids nap because they fell asleep on the way home (hence the movie meltdown because they were exhausted from all our fun!).

i wont have these days forever. soon enough they will be in school 5 days a week and i will look back and miss these unstructured days of freedom. yes, having two three year olds can actually feel like freedom:).

fridays: you come at the perfect time each week and rejuvenate my soul!

giving thanks: day 3

2011-11-03T19:20:00.003-04:00

so thankful for my little girl. i could spend 30 days just talking about all things tristen but today, its all about manicures. she has recently gotten into painting nails. she loves to paint mommy, daddy and felton's nails. i just did mine last night (which is quite a time commitment considering that i have to sit still and not touch anything for quite some time at night). this is always difficult for me because the nighttime is when i get everything done. so, giving up my nightly chores to paint my nails only happens every so often.

all freshly painted, tristen asked me if she can paint sparkly nail polish on me tonight. thinking about the time sacrifice from the night before when i painted my nails, i hesitated... for about 3 seconds. who could resist? so, sparkly thick nail polish on top of my manicured nails we went.

sooooooooo thankful to have a daughter that wants to paint my nails! she takes such pride in her work.

giving thanks: day 2

2011-11-02T20:27:00.003-04:00

what what, im back...dont count me out just yet!

its amazing how when i commit to blogging about my thankfulness, things just pop up all day that can be my "thankful thing" and the list grows long.

today is coffee. well a husband that makes my coffee... EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. like most couples, we have our "household duties". i wont share the list because im afraid if i type them out, side by side, his list might be longer than mine. but whatever, maybe not:). all i will say is that when he was out of town the last 2 weeks, the kids kept asking me when daddy was coming home because the toilets needed to be cleaned. but back to coffee. some nights i go to sleep and he is up working, watching football or whatever and i think, there is no way he will remember to clean out the coffee grinder/maker and put new beans in there with cold fresh water so that i can wake up and have freshly brewed coffee. but every single morning, its there. ceasar is usually already gone but my coffee is always there. i really cant tell you how happy this makes me every.single.morning when i walk down and see it. i always think, oh he barely got any sleep, its totally ok if he forgot, but nope...never. here's the thing, no matter how tired he is, how little sleep he gets, he does it because he knows coffee is my thing.

so, today (really every day), i am so thankful for freshly brewed coffee and a husband who knows how important IT is to me.

giving thanks: day 1

2011-11-01T20:19:00.004-04:00

here it goes. im committing to 30 days of thankfulness. something i know about myself, is that i tend to have great intentions but typically have a hard time following through with them. time, work, life, kids, dinner, sleep, whatever usually gets in the way of my completion of a well intended thingy. BUT, im way too thankful for way too much to not complete this task so here i go. im committing to 30 days on this blog to share what im thankful for.

day 1: thankful for healthy (AND BRAVE) kids on halloween.

its just that simple. i know there are alot of kids out there facing horrible horrible things that didn't allow them to trick or treat last night. i know this. so, for me, seeing my kids run up our new street and gradually become braver and braver with each house was an absolute blast. they were scared (mostly tristen) at the first house because a witch came to the door. they were scared at the 2nd house because they were still thinking about the witch. they were scared at the 3rd house because an older dad/neighbor thought it would be fun to scare all the kids (my dad use to do this growing up!) but didn't realize three years olds were probably a little too young to break out the blood, knives and freak show. by house 5 or 6 though, they were slowly walking up to the door together and didn't need us. occasionally tristen would ask to hold my hand but for the most part, they were so brave and wanted to go at it alone (well together but without us). it was so great watching them face their fears. of course it didnt hurt that candy was the end result.

hope you all had a happy halloween!

its never too late

2011-10-15T21:59:00.009-04:00

i took this picture today after a full day of fun around roswell.

when tristen & felton were babies, we stayed on a very rigid schedule. i mean, we were the poster family for baby wise (a specific method for how to get babies on a good sleeping routine). it was the number one advice that moms of multiples gave me. they all said, don't listen to anyone... unless they've had twins. keep them on a hard core schedule and you will be so glad you did. when one sleeps, they both sleep. when one eats, they both eat. when one wakes, they both need to be awake. you get the point. well they were right, and we were ALL happy. tristen & felton learned to be great nappers very quickly and were sleeping through the night within a few months. it was tough, we missed out on a lot, but we were happy. i use to watch parents, as they strolled with a napping baby and thought, that looks so nice. im not saying it's easy with one baby (and i promise i would NEVER say that!) but it's just a little different.

having said all that, one of the big things we missed out on was holding our babies while they slept. we just didnt have the time or the luxury to rock them to bed or sit while they were napping. we also tried really hard to teach them how to fall asleep on their own, in their crib. again, we were glad we did this, but we did miss out on those sweet moments of holding your baby while they sleep.

but now... now is just a whole new world. we are able to be so much more flexible in life and we are LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT. today, we went to lunch and a fall festival and felton fell asleep in the car. we got home and i asked ceasar to wake him up so he wouldn't sleep too long and be up all night. instead of listening to my "recommendation", ceasar swept felton out of the car and went and sat down. they both slept for an hour. i know ceasar's heart was full. mine was full just watching them. absolute bliss.

this picture may look like just a big kid that fell asleep on his dad, but to me... it looks like a daddy finally getting to hold his baby while he sleeps:).

three is the real deal

2011-10-06T21:05:00.006-04:00

i havent blogged in ages, well because my kids are three and they leave me exhausted at night. we dropped naps a few months back but occasionally (like today) they will fall asleep in the car and get a few zzzzzz's. today i let it go on too long and as a result, i have been wrestling with them, trying to get them to go to down for like a million hours. i thought they were finally asleep, so i did what any normal mom would do, i poured a glass of wine and grabbed a bag of cookies (hence the few extra lbs i have recently gained). right after i ate the first cookie, tristen started yelling my name. here is the conversation when i got to her bed:

t: mommy, im scared

me: nothing to be scared of

t: mommy, i have to pee

me: you have already gone to the bathroom

t: what are you eating?

me: nothing why?

t: are you eating cookies? your breath smells like chocolate

me: no, i bought some new toothpaste that smells like chocolate. i just brushed my teeth and i am getting ready for bed and you need to go night night.

t: mommy, that's strange. why are you so weird?

so after a few months without blogging, that's all i have for you tonight. these kids are hilarious and are growing like crazy. there is never a dull moment with three year olds...

a few of these pictures have really funny stories but im just gonna leave it for your imagination tonight. night night!

same side of the bus

2011-08-09T22:16:00.012-04:00

school started in our county last week so alot of my mom friends have been talking about routines, schedules, and early early mornings of 6am because our county starts at a ridiculous early time. it got me to thinking about how much i love the stage i am in with my kids. i love the freedom that we have to do whatever we want. we aren't tied to early mornings on the bus, homework at night and lots of places to be during the week. i really want to cherish this time because i know it won't last forever...

at dinner last night, i was talking to tristen & felton about their preschool starting back up in a few weeks. tristen told me that she didn't want to ride a school bus because she was going to be scared. i told her that she didn't have to ride a school bus until she gets older and when the time comes, it will be fun. conversation that followed:

t: but i don't want to ride a school bus when i get older because im gonna be scared
f: its ok tristen, you can sit beside me

t: but i will still be scared felton

f: or you can sit on my lap if you want
me: well, actually my friend just told me today that boys have to sit on one side and girls on the other but you guys will be fine
f: its ok tristen, you can sit on the boys side with me and i will protect you
t: promise felton
f: promise

i loooooooooooooooooooooove their relationship. its just so innocent and sweet. so, until we have to pack up for kindergarten in a few years, we're just gonna continue to dance the summer days away...

where 2 became 2

2011-07-21T13:58:00.005-04:00

this isn't bitter sweet for me. it's just down right sad today. i know that i will look back at this and smile but not right now. i am just plain sad. felton has been mentioning for several days now that he wants to start sleeping in his own room. ceasar and i have pretty much been ignoring it hoping that his simple request would just dissapear... but it hasn't. i guess it's kind of my fault for painting his new room in our new home a fun bright color. in our old home, it was "their room" from the beginning. in the new home, we created her room and his room and they have been sleeping in HER room ever since we moved in. this obviously played a huge part in this all happening so soon. he thinks his blue room is so cool and he loves hanging out in there. twins sharing a room is one of those topics that i read about several times on my mother's of multiple blogs, books, updates, etc. on average, boy/girl twins ask to sleep in their own rooms around 5. same sex twins are typically a few years older (if ever). well, this is a milestone that felton hit way to early for my liking. we went to the doctor today for their 3 year old checkup and on our way home, its all he talked about. by the time we got home, he was in a panic mode and insisting that he sleep in his own room for his nap. all tristen could say was "no felton, im gonna be lonely". yes, she actually said that SEVERAL times. and then she proceeded to say "felton, i love you, don't you wanna sleep with me?". yes, this is a true story. i know that im very sappy on here about my kids because they have brought out the best in me but rarely and i mean rarely (if ever) do i cry. this made me tear up while driving. i got so sad for tristen. she just wants her brother to sleep by her. come on felton, cant you hang in there a few more years, gosh, even just a few more nights? well the answer is a big fat no. right now he is sleeping on the floor in his room and is as happy as can be. he even shut the door behind me. again, lump in the throat and sadness in my heart. tristen...well, she was very quiet and went to sleep without saying anything. me, i just went to sleep on my couch as well without saying anything. i know we will all be ok (tristen and myself that is) but this is one sad sad day for us girls. maybe this nap will be so boring to him that tonight he will be right back in her room. i can only hope so. it just goes to show that children are going to do things on their own time, when they are ready. oh, i just had an idea...maybe she could sleep in HIS room tonight! oooooooooh, can't wait for ceasar to get home so we can take apart the beds!

top 10 things they love about their daddy

2011-06-23T14:13:00.005-04:00

i am blown away at how many moms think their kids have the BEST daddy in the world. as i scrolled my fb news feed on father's day, i realized that i am not the only one that thinks my babies daddy hung the moon. well, rather than letting my competitive nature come out on this one, we will just have to agree to disagree on who is the best. only kidding, i think it's great that so many moms feel this way. i think daddy's definitely hold a special place in a child's heart but it's probably the moms who love seeing it most. as we were wrapping father's day gifts, i asked tristen & felton to tell me the 10 things they love most about their daddy. it was too sweet not to incorporate into the gift:

there is nothing quite sweeter than seeing the love my kids have for ceasar. he is quite our super hero!

turning gray into good

2011-06-08T16:33:00.009-04:00

a few weeks ago, i was feeling a little "gray" and defeated and I just didn't know why…I had all good things going on in my life but I just felt blahhh. i felt tired, had major heartburn and my body was screaming at me that something just wasn't right. well, after talking with ceasar and then talking to one of my bff's who has a degree in counceling:)…it turns out that I was just experiencing a normal type of anxiety that comes with moving. even though it was only 3 miles up the street, it could have been a million miles away. all the late night packing, unpacking, painting of furniture, picking out colors, selling furniture, buying furniture, spending lots of money, unfamiliar neighbors, unorganized boxes, needy toddlers, etc etc…well it down right got the best of me. I literally felt my body shutting down. so, i have taken 2 weeks off from anything to do with the house and what a difference it has made. I feel back to my normal self! no more chest pains, no more sleepless nights, just happiness to be in a beautiful new home with my sweet little family. we are still in boxes, my furniture is still half painted, my clothes are not yet put away, but that's ok. I don't feel pressured at all to get it done. im just gonna take it little by little and enjoy the ride. ive never been one to stress or feel anxious so this feeling definitely took me by surprise. my bff counselor friend told me "ya know, whether its good stress or bad stress, it's all the same… stress".

speaking of feeling gray… check out my new kitchen cabinets:). a very talented artist here in atlanta: kristen davis, worked her magic and turned my borning cabinets into my cottagy gray kitchen that I have always wanted. she blogs about it here http://kfddesigns.blogspot.com/2011/06/gray-kitchen-cabinets.html
i love my new home!

p.s. check out the birthday party pics in the album to the right of here->

also, below are some fun pictures of us hanging around the new house. love these kids of mine.

love letters from me: happy birthday!

2011-05-23T19:31:00.010-04:00

dear tristen: happy birthday honey bunny!

three years ago today, i met you baby girl. honestly, i cant really remember life before you. the day you were born was the best day of my life. i knew you were gonna have a twin, but little did i know, it was gonna be me. you feisty, stubborn, crazy, silly little thing...you stole my heart from the moment you were born. those big ole cheeks and that loud scream of yours! i think even the nurses were scared of you. well, im happy to report that you still have your scream (our new neighbors are now scared) but none the less, you have turned in to quite the sweet one. i mean sweet as in, the cuddling bunny i always hoped you would be. not to sound surprised, but i kinda am:). along with your sweetness, you are so smart and silly. you remember everyone’s name and never forget a single piece of gum that i may have misplaced. you love to dance & sing and you’re already showing signs of being an athlete. you love your momma and let me tell you, it’s my pleasure to hold you as much as you want! you are such a sweetheart and i am honored to be you momma.

dear felton: happy birthday super power boy!

three years in and you still have my heart. are you kidding me? could you be any more fun loving? you are daddy’s twin! you are full of energy but have such a tender heart. you’re a hider and a fighter (play fight of course) and you can “save the day” with the best of ‘em! you love to wrestle and step on bugs...but even with all your super fighting powers, at the end of the day, all you really care about is if everyone is ok. you are always looking out for others and sharing all your treats. i can’t count how many times you say “i need to get tristen one too”. you are quite picky these days about what you wear. if it’s not like your daddy’s, then forget it. you are obsessed. with. your. daddy. let me say this again: OBSESSED. it’s ok with me though, because i can’t imagine a better person for you to look up to! such a tender heart you have: sounds familiar to me...spitting image i tell ya!

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yesterday, i found you both “decorating” together, as you like to do. you were wrapping one of daddy’s ties around a chair in our dining room. i sat on the stairs and listened to you talk for several minutes and when i peaked around the corner, you guys were holding each other’s faces and kissing each other’s cheeks. there's not a competition for who’s the sweetest one or who’s the funnier one because you are each perfectly you and i wouldn’t change one single thing.

thank you for the best year yet. i keep thinking it can’t get any better, but you keep on growing and becoming more of who you were made to be.

i am honored to be your momma and watch you grow. happy third birthday trissy! happy third birthday felty! mommy and daddy love you more than you will ever know.

unpacked boxes

2011-05-08T22:43:00.006-04:00

its been waaaaaaaay too long since i've been on here. i've thought about doing a recap post but that wouldn't begin to touch on how crazy things have been around here. so, i wont even try to explain how hectic moving with 2 toddlers can be. i won't even try. but...i am happy to update that we are in our new home and there is lots and lots of love running around here. the kids are in love with their new backyard and we are in love with our expanded space. we may be living out of boxes for a while but i don't really care because i am happy. crazy but happy and here's how i see it... there will always be time to unpack boxes or buy new furniture or put up blinds or paint old furniture, but there will never be another time when my kids are right on the brink of turning three years old and growing faster than i can even comprehend. im afraid to blink because i don't want to miss anything. so, for now, i will do a little unpacking each and every night (after they go to sleep), but my priority has and always will be enjoying these babies as much as possible...because i know this stage won't last forever.

i am sappy. my kids made me this way.

happy mothers day!

toddler beds and tristen... do not mix.

2011-03-14T22:02:00.007-04:00

well, it was a roooouuuuuuuuugh night. actually quite comical to be honest. as we laid in bed in the middle of the night i said "we will laugh about this one day". we actually laughed about it the entire night. it was too funny. just in case you guys were curious, below is the conclusion to the toddler bed & fever saga:

8pm: bedtime, reminded them not to get out and to call us if they need us
8:30pm: lets try this again, bedtime
12:45am: thump! tristen falls out for the first time. she climbs back in and goes back to sleep. meanwhile, i am still awake watching in the monitor and cracking up. ceasar wakes up in a panic "oh my gosh, go get her". me: "honey, she's fine"
2:30am: thump #2! she falls out again and climbs back in. i am still awake. i am watching the whole thing. dying laughing again.
3:40am: thump #3! bam, door slamming...footsteps getting louder and closer, i had JUST fallen asleep, GUESS WHO? you got it. tristen was in my face saying "hi mommy, im shaking. i got out of my big girl bed. i want my crib back"...

my response: ceasar, you know what to do!

4:00am

oh the things we do as parents. gotta love it! this story is just one of many reminders that being twins does not mean SQUAT when it comes to personalities. they are individuals and they will do things on their own time. so tonight, felton will remain in his big boy bed while my girl will happily remain trapped in her crib, just the way she likes it.

off to drink a glass of wine and go night night!

toddler beds and fevers... may not mix.

2011-03-13T21:21:00.009-04:00

today was a big day in our household. these kids of ours are trying their hardest to just grow right out of the baby stage. yes, i know, they are almost three but come on, can't i have a few more months of the baby life? im gonna take as long as i need, thank you very much. BUT, today was one step closer to becoming "not a baby anymore". tristen & felton have never tried to climb out of their crib. ever. and i was given the advice by numerous friends that if they aren't trying to climb out, KEEP THEM IN THEIR CRIBS AS LONG AS YOU CAN. so we have. but, we have beach and lake vacations coming up in a few weeks and it just seems like border line torture to make these almost three year olds sleep in the same pack n plays they slept in when they were 7 lbs a piece. i mean really... at christmas time, they were bent up like gumby trying to sleep in those things.

so, we decided to make today the day. we transitioned to toddler beds (their cribs turn in to toddler beds so it's really just taking off the side rail). we made an absolute event of this thing and had a blast. we had photo shoots, individual practice sessions on climbing in & out, and a few other dramatic moments that made it a fun memory. we were so excited to see how nap time would go and test out this whole new stage in our life. well, nap time was a bust. tristen didn't even sleep an hour (which is very short for her) and felton ended up in our bed taking a nap (first time ever). i guess it wasn't the smartest day to make this transition since it's daylight savings time and their internal clocks are off and oh, felton and tristen have been sick all weekend with fevers, an ear infection and horrible coughs. no one ever said we were the smartest parents in the world...sometimes we are down right THE OPPOSITE.

so here's to a night of the unknown...wish us luck!

living on caffeine alone

2011-02-21T22:54:00.008-05:00

this past friday night, i had the kids to myself (ceasar was getting home late) so i had big hopes and dreams of taking the kids out for a little trader joes shopping, pet smart browsing and ice cream eating. whenever taking the kids grocery shopping, i try to be very strategic… make the list ahead of time, map out my plan, schedule in the usual treat bribery, balloon bribery and whatever else it takes to get all my groceries and keep the kids in the shopping cart. well, that is when i am shopping at publix. trader joes, well that's a different story. while i love me some trader joes…i do not love the fact that their carts are not twin friendly (or just 2 child friendly at that!). because of this, i usually go without the kids to trader joes or wait until ceasar is with me so we are "man on man". nope, not this friday night though, i felt ambitious... even a little confident in my abilities as a seasoned mom. my kids are well behaved. i have taught them how to act in public. they will listen to me and follow me around. so, i made my list of about 25 items and we had our pep talk in the car. "kids, you promise me that if i let you push around your kiddie carts, you will not run around? yes mommy, i promise. you will push your cart next to me the whole time while i get all kinds of good food for this weekend? yes mommy, i promise. ok, because i have LOTS of fun treats i need to buy so that we have good food this weekend. i will even buy you some cookies. ok, mommy I promise. so, away we went…

after a few "fun looks" from elderly couples and a few "fun sighs" from people who obviously have chosen not to have children, we decided to go ahead and cut the trip a little short and head to the check out line.

with. just. coffee.

hey, we had a blast though! i love those small adventures. they make me laugh. you gotta be flexible with two two years olds right? at least we had our fresh coffee in the morning. and believe me, they were so proud to get mommy and daddy their coffee.

what a girl wants, what a girl needs

2011-01-24T22:44:00.006-05:00

since way back when, little girls have been playing dress up with pretty sparkly dresses, high heels and costume jewelry. tristen hasn't shown much interest in this popular girly activity...until this week. its probably the princess movies we've just started watching. tonight, she wanted the whole shabang. dress, heals, jewelry AND most importantly, MY makeup. she loves my makeup but i never let her wear it (reason: typically im in a hurry if i am putting on makeup). she loves watching me put it on and every single morning she asks me to wear my lipstick. it was so much fun putting it on her tonight (of course it was just a light stroke of blush on the cheeks and some clear lip gloss) but man oh man did she think she was the prettiest princess heading to a big Ball. as i "presented" princess tristen to her daddy and brother, she was glowing.

SO PROUD to have on mommy's lipstick. she was even blushing because her daddy was going on and on about how beautiful she looked (imagine that!). after a few minutes, the hype started wearing off. all the excitement was wearing her out and she started daydreaming of her favorite things in life. the two things that bring her the most joy and comfort. the two things that can give her energy and power no matter how tough the situation. of course i am talking about her sheetie and paci*. she was looking all around and then strongly expressed her desire to have them both. so, i thought to myself, "what can i threaten her with that will force her to give up the paci and sheetie during this fun dress up/playtime?"…. so, the dialogue went like this:

tristen: mom, i want my paci
me: honey, we are playing, you don't need your paci right now
tristen: but i need it
me: well you know paci's are really for babies unless it's night night time
tristen: but i want it
me (thinking i am so sly and smart): well ok honey, i guess you are just not ready to wear mommy's makeup then. i thought you were a big girl and you were ready to wear mommy's lipstick. if you put your paci in your mouth, it will mess up your pretty lipstick. that's why only big girls can wear makeup and babies have pacis.
tristen: ok, please take off my lipstick mommy. i don’t need it anyway. i need my paci.

*i try to only allow tristen and felton to have their pacis and sheeties during nap time, night night time, sick time, wind down time, mommy just got home from work and needs to cook dinner time… well gosh, when i type it out like that, it sure doesn't sound that great. but, i really am trying to slowly remove it from their (well her) daily life. oh oh i got it, i don't let the sheeties and pacis leave the house. yeah, that's it! i knew i was sticking firm on something.

this season's menu

2011-01-06T14:21:00.006-05:00

its always fun to ring in the new year with kids. they have such an innocence and pure excitement that is abosultely contagious. we decided to have a party at home this year. we had a 5 star meal, fireworks, a countdown dance party (at 8pm:) and dessert by the backyard firepit. it was one of the best new year's eves that I can rememember.

i really impressed myself by the meal i made. on the menu: broiled lobster, gorgonzola filet mignon, twice baked potato and tiramisu. all this accompanied by a very nice bottle of wine. we of course ate on our fine china (even the kids) and as we devoured our meal. I felt very fortunate to be at home with my family. what i love most about having kids, is they keep it real. just when you think you are having a nice grown up meal, they slip an exciting event into the mix. right in the middle of my lobster and wine, i get a "momma, i gotta go poopy". so, i put down my fork, take my girl to the potty, and we proceed to sing songs and take a poopy for 10 whole minutes. by the time i got back, my meal was a little bit cooler and a little less appealing (after what i was coming from:) but none the less, it was an amazing 5 star dining experience.

when discussing my career direction this past year, my boss gave me GREAT advice. he said, "kim, you will go through many seasons of life. having young toddlers is just one of them. embrace this season of life and know that it won't last forever. " i love that advice. it's so basic yet so real and i think about it almost every single day.

for this new year's season of life, i got lobster, filet and poopy…all in one sitting.

happy new year to you all! thank you for continuing to follow our family's simple adventures. we have had such a great year and i am so excited to see what's in store for 2011!

christmas season

2011-01-02T14:59:00.012-05:00

i love hearing about family holiday traditions. facebook has made it easy to hear and see all the different family traditions that people create to make it a special time of year for their kids. now that our kids are two, i thought it was a good year to start our own traditions. we started with spending christmas morning at our own home. it's the first time in 33 years that i have not woken up at my parent's home on christmas morning. the kids really got into the whole santa claus thing so we thought it was time to let santa come to our own home. it was such a fun morning to say the least! we also added in the excitement of pop-in-kins (named christopher). this is the original version of elf on the shelf. this particular tradition was new to me but ceasar had heard about it and we thought it sounded like something our family would really get in to. ok, let me clarify, something that ceasar would really get in to. hiding an elf in different places every single night during the month of decemeber, getting to make up a story each and every day of how the elf made its way up high somewhere new each night, hiding and story telling… now that just has ceasar's name written all over it! if you don't know the story about christopher, you can read it here www.popinkins.com. we really had a blast with it.

we also created a personalized advent calendar. i had someone make it on etsy and then i created individual family activities for each day. some were as simple as baking cookies, others were more heart felt such as making gifts for kids in need. i am not sure who liked this more, me or the kids because I looked forward to it each day. that's the funny thing about family traditions, like christopher and our advent calendar, sometimes the adults have just as much fun as the kids.

i have such great christmas memories from my childhood. whether it was church on christmas eve, putting out cookies for santa, opening pj's on christmas eve, oranges and nuts in our stockings or displaying gifts from santa claus in a magical way, my parents always worked really hard to create special memories for my sister and me. and the evidence of their success is how hard my sister and i both work to create traditions and memories for our own families.

it was such an amazing christmas season. i say "season" because i feel like we celebrated the whole month of december. on new year's day, we were taking down the tree and putting away all of our decorations. it's always a little bitter sweet. felton said to me "mommy, what are you doing?" i answered "honey, we are putting up the christmas decorations because christmas is over for this year." his response "i want to do it again!" kids are so awesome that way. i want to "do it again" too.

here are some pictures from our christmas season:

christmas down on the farm with the browns

opening gifts with cousin taylor

ho ho ho

tristen nervous to meet santa

breakfast with santa at school (felton is frozen and tristen won't make eye contact)

mimi with all the grandkids

poppi with all the grandkids

sweet love on christmas eve

christmas eve church service

the whole family on christmas eve

looking at what santa brought them:)

he is staring at his new toys!

princess with her new kitchen

loving his new train table

new kitchen!

opening stockings

taking matters into her own hands

2010-12-12T19:05:00.005-05:00

tristen is tired of waiting on me. i have mixed emotions about her becoming potty trained. i want her to be my baby forever. some people may think im crazy for feeling this way. ive heard several parents talk about how they can't wait for their child to be potty trained. well, i am trying to hold on to their "baby stages" forever.

tristen was showing signs of potty training desires MONTHS ago but since she really wasn't pressing the issue, i chose to ignore it. i know, it seems a little wrong and i am willing to accept that. two reasons that i was holding off: 1. i wanted to tackle it at the same time. i figured with twins, it would be easier to do them both at once. 2. I want them to stay my babies forever! we probably won't have any more kids so why not keep them babies as long as possible. im just not one to rush anything... with these kids that is!

this weekend, she started saying "mommy, i want to go pee pee in the potty". a part of me wanted to change the subject but i figured that was border line wrong. so, i listened to her request and started taking her to the potty. she has been dry for two whole days. i went out today (against my desires) and bought her some sweet princess pull up diapers. she loves them! she has asked ALL DAY TODAY to go pee pee in the potty. i haven't asked her once if she needed to go. im so proud of my little girl. she knows its time and despite her insane momma, she is tackling this big task head on! she's a go getter…knows what she wants and goes for it!

what's next? cell phones, cars and first dates. no thank you. where's her sheetie pie and paci? yes, i still let her have the paci. judge me:).

using my card

2010-12-02T18:32:00.008-05:00

let me just go ahead and blog about this, so that when i one day turn this blog into a book (for keepsake), i can look back and laugh. because i just know this will be the ONLY time these two precious angels cause me stress.
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dear tristen: why the heck will you not stop screaming? at 11pm, 2am, 5am and 7am. why do you want everything and nothing all at the same time? why won't you sleep in your crib? are you really scared, does your tummy really hurt, do you really have a poo poo and do you really need milk, all at the same time? do you really need a band aid on your foot at 4am? why wouldn't you smile in our family holiday photo shoot last weekend? did you really have to swipe away the photographer's hand? why couldn't you wear the outfit that I had been planning for a month? did it really "hurt" you to have it on? oh, and why did you keep turning on my milk frother today, so that it would tie up knots in your hair? i hated to keep cutting out the chunks of your pretty curly hair.

dear felton: well felton, thank you for being easy. but, you are not totally innocent here. i guess its not ideal that you walk around slapping tristen in the back and holding her down on the floor (all the while clapping your hands and laughing). but, you are still a walk in the park these days compared to you know who.
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so, I struggle most with the all of a sudden sleep issues and i ask, should i put them in toddler beds, drop the nap, turn on a nightlight, let them (well, her) just absolutely scream it out? i am tired today. i don't know what to do. i refuse to use the "twin (two year old) card"… well maybe, maybe just today. because lets be honest, everyone has a card they should be allowed to play every once in a while.

picture taken today during naptime

this is how tired i was last night: football pj top and pink hearts bottom

YES, i resorted to bribery on picture day but unfortunately it caused complete chaos. i failed to think about the green and red getting all over e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.

rally and fine china

2010-11-05T14:16:00.011-04:00

ive never really cared about material things. lord knows i don't really take care of nice things. i am not that organized and i don't really like cleaning. so those are just a few of my flaws, there you have it:).

i do have really great fine china though. my mother just insisted me registering for it when i was getting married. i have almost been married 10 years now and we have only used them once. they are so pretty and i love them and to be honest, i am glad i registered for them because i hope to use them more in the near future.

tristen is really into tea parties these days. we have little plastic china that we use and she is obsessed with having tea parties. it started a few weeks back when tristen and her daddy had a 4 hour long tea party. yes, people...4 hours long! so, this morning, she said "lets have a tea party" and felton and i jumped right in. today though, instead of using the plastic china, i decided to break out the good stuff. life is just way too short to keep the good stuff boxed up and my daughter wants to have a real tea party so dangit, we are having a real tea party.

i spent my evening last night volunteering for my favorite cause rally! http://www.rallyfoundation.org/. it was their annual benefit bash and it was inspirational to say the very least. a friend of mine, dean crowe, started this foundation and she is an amazing woman. no, neither of her kids have ever been diagnosed but she has dedicated her career to helping find a cure for childhood cancer. last night, i watched the bravest little girl (8 years old) who is battling Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, as she sang her favorite miley cyrus song (The Climb*) ON STAGE in front of a huge crowd of adults. she promised the crowd that if they raised a certain amount of dollars during this one single live auction item, that she would stand and sing on stage. well, the money was quickly raised and there she stood, with a microphone in her hand, her momma right below the stage and she sang her HUGE heart out. i stood next to her father and watched tears flow down his face. i will never be able to comprehend how he was feeling. all i know is how i was feeling. and how i am still feeling this morning...

and this morning, we broke out the fine china.

this is not for dramatic effect but i just want to try and express the magnitude of how unbelievably touching this evening was. below are the lyrics of the song that sweet and brave lily sang...and i mean she sang her heart out!!!
*Lyrics to The Climb: Miley Cyrus
I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down
But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going

And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on

'Cause there's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Somebody's gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb, yeah!

Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It's all about, it's all about the climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, whoa

i love friday mornings

2010-11-05T14:02:00.004-04:00

this morning i woke up very thankful...for many things. i decided to write down the top things that came to my mind and then ask the kids what they are thankful for.

my list (top 5 things that quickly came to mind this morning):
1. rally foundation (rallyfoundation.org)
2. my healthy kids and my family and friend's healthy kids
3. my fresh brewed coffee that ceasar made me this morning
4. my small and cozy home
5. unrushed conversations with my 2 year olds at the breakfast table

tristen's list:
mom: "honey, what are the things you love"
tristen:
1. my sheet and paci
2. bandaids
3. tea parties

felton's list:
mom: "honey are the things you love"
felton:
1. sheet, paci, blankie and milk
2. strawberries
3. football

happy friday to you all!

CEO

2010-10-29T14:56:00.005-04:00

ive often thought about running my own company (any leader people reading this, please do not read this as a statement of resignation:)... i just tend to be a leader and its always been fairly natural for me to be in charge or lead groups of people. i was the point guard in highschool & college and ive pretty much held a leadership position most of my marketing career. at home though, im more laid back and don't really care who is taking the lead, making decisions, planning, etc. in all honesty, ive always liked when ceasar makes the decisions and i can just roll with it. well, that was before kids...

over the last 2 years, ive naturally become the leader once again. don't get me wrong, ceasar is an amazing dad and can do more than most. ive been traveling for work the past 3 weeks and ceasar has been tasked with it all...by himself! he has successfully: made school lunches, dressed kids for school, taken them to school, fixed hair, fed them dinner, given baths, etc etc all while having a 45 minute commute at a not so easy time at work (wells fargo has recently bought out wachovia which is one of the largest acquisitions in the history of banking).

i am happy to report that he survived the 3 weeks without me. i think he did more than "survive" but apparently it wasn't the easiest 3 weeks of his life. i called the other night on the way home from the airport and asked if he was glad to have me home...his response: "i am ready to just take orders again. you are the CEO of this family. you make things run smoothly. i am ready to not have to think again and just do as i am told."

hysterical. i will happily accept my role.

Kim Brown
CEO
Brown Household

yo gabba gabba yo gabba gabba yo gabba gabba yooooooooooooo

2010-10-25T18:19:00.011-04:00

what a night! last weekend, we took tristen & felton to their first live show. it was at The Fox Theatre and it was yo gabba gabba live. what a fantastic combination for your first show experience (for all your non kid having friends out there, here's the show: http://www.yogabbagabbalive.com/about) . i was on the fence about spending the money because it was a pretty pricey show. it's crazy how quickly i will spend $$$ on a pair of jeans or a dress but i was going back and forth about spending money on what ended up being one of the best memories to date with our kids. ok, I realize how selfish that made me sound but it's the truth:). tristen literally danced the entire time and felton was soooo in awe of the entire thing, that his face was absolutely priceless. he was looking at the stage like an adult would look at a pot of gold...like, is this for real? his expression was saying "is this really happening? am i dreaming? is that really dj lance and foofa and brobee?" man, what an absolute BLAST!

the next morning i went to get them out of their cribs and the first thing tristen said was "hi im foofa" and felton said "hi im brobee". then tristen went and got her costume, laid it on the floor and kissed foofa on the cheek and said "I love you foofa". what???? if i would have known they were gonna have this much fun, i would have paid a million bucks.

sharing is oh so sweet

2010-09-20T22:43:00.006-04:00

every once in a while, i can't believe the impulse decisions that i make. when i'm given two options, occasionaly i will choose the crazy one and have to suffer the consequences. thankfully today, the kids went easy on me. i made the decision at hand, held my breath and hoped for the best. my kids never sease to amaze me. they are TWO. they are toddlers. they love candy.

the decision: after felton found ONE lollipop in the junk drawer(and there wasn't another one in the entire house), i had a quick decision to make. do i just take it and quickly try to devert their attentionor do i hand the ONE lollipop over to them and ask them to share? again… they are TWO. they are toddlers. they love candy. but if there's one thing being a twin has taught them early on, it's that sharing is necessary to survive!

whew... that could have gotten ugly!

perfectly prepared for preschool

2010-08-30T16:55:00.009-04:00

does it really take an hour to pack a lunch?

is it really necessary to find the perfect water bottle?

is it possible for the parents to be more nervous than the kids? yes yes and yes.

monday was the first day of preschool. im not gonna try and play hard here, i was pretty nervous. i wasn't nervous about leaving the kids, because i've been doing that since they were 3 months old. i wasn't nervous about someone else spending time with them other than me, because that's been going on since they were 3 months old too. i was however nervous about doing everything right for them. i wanted their lunches to be perfect. i wanted their backpacks to be perfect. i wanted their school supplies to be perfect. i wanted everything to be perfect. and it's not about other people thinking they look perfect, it's about me wanting things to BE perfect for THEM. i wanted the morning to go smooth. i only got one shot at their first day of preschool and i didn't want to screw it up:). however, i managed to:
1. leave the plastic on the sliced cheese on their sandwich
2. forget my battery charger at the beach, so my nice nikon camera was dead
3. leave my laptop on the dining room table so that when I got to work, I had to turn around and go back home

other than that, the morning was flawless. no really, it actually was quite smooth. the kids were amazing. they cried when we dropped them off but i got a text from the teacher a few minutes later and it said "already happy. less than 3 minutes of tears".

at orientaion, the teachers asked us to draw hearts on all our hands before the first day of school.

they were going to tell the kissing hand story (i love this story and you can read about it here http://www.kinderthemes.com/thekissinghand.html) we told tristen & felton that if they got missed us to just look at their hands and kiss their hearts. we explained that we would do the same. my boss asked me in the middle of the meeting why i kept "checking my hand" lol.

i knew they would be great. i had meetings all morning so it flew by. when i picked them up, the teachers just raved about them (and all the other kids for that matter). they said it was their easiest first day of 2 year olds in the 5 years they had been teaching. i was so proud of them.

today was a milestone. a really great milestone. we are sooooo about enjoying each and every moment with our kiddos. we hope to never look back and say "we should have enjoyed that stage more". we try and enjoy every single stage and not rush them to grow up. my fear for today was that i would go and pick them up and they would seem like kids and no longer babies. well, that was definitely the case for sure. BUT, it was ok. i enjoyed their baby stage so much and i am really excited for them to become little kids with little friends and wear little backpacks and carry little lunch boxes and sit in little chairs and eat at little tables…

we are going to enjoy this preschool stage because before we know it, they will be in grade school. and lord knows, if they are anything like their momma and daddy, we are going to need help!

rookie mistakes that never end

2010-08-23T12:04:00.002-04:00

how long do i get to use the excuse that i am a new mom? my babies are now 2 years old and i guess i'm getting the hang of this mom thing. actually, i know i am. BUT, i do continue to make rookie mistakes. this weekend i just absolutely didn’t use my brain.

i joined my mother's of multiples group for two reasons. #1: to get advice from experienced mom's of multiples #2: to get in early at the annual mom's of multiples consignment sale. members get in an hour before it opens to the public. and by public, i mean all of the other mom's in atlanta that come ready to fight for gently used clothes and toys. side note: these women are crazy. they will literally knock you down for a toy.

so here's my brainless moment/hour. after i walked around the sale for a bit and realized that i am a horrible consignment sale shopper, i decided to just give up on the gym that had the big toys and go to the gym full of clothes. i was really there to get a ton of barely worn clothes for the fall. at these sales, you can get gymboree, baby gap, lands end, etc for $3 & $4. so, i dove into the madness and started filling up my laundry basket. all the while, i hear women screaming at their mom's and husbands saying things like:
"grab it"
"don't let her get it"
"i don't care if it's ugly, it's cheap"
"don't just stand there, start pulling things, we can look at them later"

i was all by myself so i didn't get to boss anyone around:). i just laughed and kept my head down and tried to focus. i knew it was t minus 15 minutes until the public was going to bombard the place. so, after grabbing all the cute clothes that i wanted, i made my way to the check out line and stood there for 15 minutes. it wasn't bad at all. as i made my way out, i looked back at the line (the public was now in the mix) and the line was already out the door and around the parking lot. these people were gonna be in line for a loooooong time. no thank you.

so i got home and was so excited to show the kids (and ceasar) all what i bought for them. you really can't beat $3 pants from the gap, a $3 dress from hanna andersson or $4 snow boots that have never been taken out of the box. as i started pulling things out, i suddenly realized something. my kids are two years old. not three! hi, my name is kim brown and i don't know the age or size of my beloved children. i bought everything in the wrong size. i don't know what i was thinking. well, actually i do know what i was thinking. when you are in the months stages of clothes, you know they will be in the next size for the next season. so, if they are wearing 12 months in the summer, more than likely they will be in 18 months in the fall. HELLO, not once they hit the toddler stage. if that was the case, my 2 year olds would be in like 6T before they were even 3 years old…do they even make 6T clothes???

again, i will say it…ROOKIE MISTAKE. ceasar said it best, "well, they are all set for 2012, what will they wear this fall?"

Nice Kim Nice.

please note this dress was made to hit at the knee NOT above the ankles. i asked tristen if i could borrow her paci and sheetie because i was so upset. she didn't let me have it.

who needs peace and quiet

2010-08-11T13:25:00.009-04:00

it's funny how quickly you forget your "old life" once you have kids. the sound of a quiet house is a very distant memory for me. the kids spent sunday night with my parents so that my mom could keep them on monday (we're in between nannies). this is the FIRST time in 2 years that i've spent the night at our house without my little ones. it was strange how every single moment, i thought of them. we've been on vacations without them but that's not the same. to be in our home, ok, lets be honest, THEIR HOME… was very strange and almost eary. ceasar had an early morning meeting so it was just me in the house.

-I woke up to my alarm clock- not tristen calling my name and telling me she has a poopy or wants milk
-I blow dried my hair alone- not with felton on my leg saying "up up up"
-I watched the news while putting on my makeup- not dinausaur train or curious george
-I drank my coffee in the house- not in the car on the way to work
-I walked out the front door and it was quiet- not felton crying, asking me to come back and tristen screaming "bye momma" with her southern draw

however, somehow with all this time to myself, i made it into the office later than I have in over a year. it's because i didn't really have a reason to rush or stay on schedule. i didn't have a nanny that would be knocking on my door in a few minutes. i didn't have kids begging me for their milk and breakfast. it was just me.

so, the question is…did i enjoy the peace and quiet? not one bit. i had 7 of those years before they came along and i know i will eventually have that quiet time again. thank you God for my busy life and my crazy 2 year olds that take up all my energy and time. i know this time is going to pass me by quickly so i am soaking up the days of toddlers running around our home.

our lucky charm

2010-08-03T22:48:00.006-04:00

he has always said that he is a lucky guy. some don’t believe in luck. ceasar is constantly talking about how his life has been full of good fortunes. i tell him that's it not luck…he's just living right:). on his 33rd birthday, it was a perfect one. we celebrated at the beach. the sky was overcast (which he loves because it's not so hot), tristen and felton were absolutely perfect (no sand in the eyes, no whining, literally hours of just playing and laughing on the beach), a long afternoon nap for the kids (which meant cocktails on the beach for us because my parents took them back to the house for naps) and a fun night out in downtown charleston. we even got to stay in the heart of downtown at a friend's amazing loft who was so kind to lend it to us for the evening. it was such a fun day/night!

ceasar thinks that luck has been a huge part of HIS life, well, i believe that tristen, felton and I are the lucky ones. happy birthday to the most loving, unselfish, charming, funny (scratch that-hilarious), witty, generous and caring man i know. how did we get so lucky?

summer love

2010-07-14T23:04:00.010-04:00

my lack of updates doesn't mean that we've had a boring summer. it has been anything BUT! i love summertime. the summer brings many celebrations for the brown family: tristen & felton's birthday, my birthday, ceasar's birthday, our anniversary, 4th of july, beach trips, lake trips and much much more! every day i think about something special that could be written on here. but every day comes and goes and I don't get to capture it in writing. i have been able to capture a lot of the special moments on camera though and i hope to update my albums on here soon. below are a few of my favorite pictures from our beach trip last month.

while we have had some great vacations and amazing celebrations this summer, there is one moment that absolutely stands out amongst everything. tristen & felton have started talking in sentences. shorts sentences but none the less, they are sentences. things such as "more eat please", "i want more please", "hi mommy, where's dadda?", "move magic", "mommy, I poopied". its so fun watching them grow in their language development. tristen is talking a little more than felton and she absolutely talks with more expression. she will roll her tongue and her eyes just to get her important message across to us. you can watch this short piece of a video to see what i am talking about.

last week (getting back to my favorite summer moment to date), we were all hanging out and they both looked at me and said "love you mommy". what? are you kidding me? did you really just say that to me? tristen repeated it, "i love you momma" and then felton said it too, "I love you mommy". they looked at each other and laughed. my summer was complete. nothing else amazing has to happen for the entire summer and i can chalk it up to the best one yet. now by labor day, they better be saying to me "mommy, i love you. you are the best mom in the world and do so much to keep this family going. you go to work, you cook, you take us on picnics and to the park. how do you do so much? i sure do love you. you're the best mommy in the world"

i love you too sweet girl and big boy!

turning two and loving you

2010-05-23T17:50:00.005-04:00

dear tristen: happy birthday sweet girl. i can't believe you are two years old today. wow how time flies when you are having fun. and we are having FUN! thinking back to when you were a baby, you were quite the screamer and we all walked around the house on egg shells:). now, you are just a bundle of silliness and laughter. every day is a new adventure with you and i am just so thankful to have you in our lives. you love to dance, sing and act crazy. sometimes i feel like i am looking in the mirror when i look at you. recently you have started talking and saying yes mam and thank you. you have such great manners. the other day, felton decided to sleep late so you and i had breakfast together. i sat with you and told you the story of the day you were born. I intended for the story to be about a minute long but the way you stared at me and listened encouraged me to keep on going. you melt my heart the way you look up to me. i went on to tell you about the scariest but best day of my life. you listened to me and did not move for ten whole minutes. you are the sweetest little girl in the whole wide world and I love you more than you will ever know. happy 2nd birthday tristen!

dear felton: happy birthday sweet boy. I can't believe my baby boy is two. it seems like just yesterday that I was rocking you to sleep in the middle of the night. you have always been the sweetest little boy in the whole wide world. how did I get so lucky to be your momma? in the last year, you have not only started walking but you are running everywhere. you go full speed when you play but when you are tired, you are my cuddly one. you absolutely love to throw a ball and swing a golf club. this makes daddy very happy. you love to eat meat and milk is your best friend. nighttime is the best with you. its always the same routine and you never let us miss a step in the process. you want your milk, your bear, your blanket and your sheet. you want to kiss the train night night and say your prayers. in recent months, you have started becoming a momma's boy and I love it. you weren't always like that. your daddy has always been your first choice and I am ok with that as long as you wink at me throughout the day. and boy do you wink. all the ladies love felton. this may be a problem in the future years:). when you laugh, everything stops. you remind me so much of your dad. you are sweet, funny and sensitive. i love you so much. i am having such a blast watching you grow! happy 2nd birthday big boy!

a plate full of differences

2010-05-18T21:37:00.006-04:00

a friend of mine gave tristen & felton a book called hello twins by charlotte voake. it's such a cute illustration book that talks about the differences in a set of boy/girl twins. the description goes like this:

In appealing, elemental words and pictures, Voake introduces twins who are "not like each other at all." At mealtimes, Simon polishes off his plate with gusto, while Charlotte ignores her food and sucks her thumb. Charlotte likes to build tall towers; Simon likes to knock them down. The words are basic, but the message is clear: the twins may "do everything differently," but they "like each other just the way they are." Voake echoes the intensity of the twins' separate-but-together bond in spare spreads that set the twins and their toys against plain, cream-colored backgrounds--no parents, no furniture, no outside world.

i love this description. it's a pretty simple message but dead on. and just to give my own little illustration, i wanted to give you a snap shot of our dinner table tonight. i made pasta with sauce and meatballs. after a few minutes of gobbling up there dinner, here is what was left on their plates:
Felton's plate

Tristen's plate

exact opposites. felton is my meat lover and tristen is my vegetarian. so, what do i do? i take a look and instead of trying to get them to eat what's remaining on their plates, i simply just swap them. they grin at each other and proceed to clean each other's plate. i love how different they are and just like the story goes, "they may do things differently but they like each other just the way they are".

a conversation between a boy and a girl

2010-04-18T22:50:00.004-04:00

as tristen & felton have gotten older (they turn 2 next month!), I definitely think of them less as twins and more as my son and daughter that happen to have the same birthday. they are just so different and really have formed their own unique personalities. many mom's of multiples spend so much of their time and effort trying to help their twins/triplets form their own identity but with a boy and a girl, it happens naturally and quickly. as they are both coming into their own little people, they still very much have the unique twin bond. I talk about their relationship a lot on here and it's because it constantly amazes me and I feel so BLESSED to have this experience as their mom. they really do have their own language. whether it's through words or actions, I am reminded every single day of the connection these two have with each other. i find myself sitting and watching them for long periods of time. it never gets old to me watching them learn how to speak and grow together. people ask me all the time if it's true about twins having their own language. well, I think this video speaks for itself.

the milk man is oh so sweet

2010-03-22T13:52:00.018-04:00

it absolutely amazes me how sweet and understanding these kids can be at such a young age. there are times when i watch them interact and i think, "if only the entire world were so kind"...and then WACK tristen will smack felton across the back and wake me up quickly:).

felton is my sweet and sensitve little boy. he is wise beyond his years and he goes to extreme measures to make sure tristen is happy. this past weekend, tristen caught the stomach bug. that girl is resilient. it was so sad...she was vomitting and had a fever and was pretty miserable. she slept with me in bed (ceasar was out of town) and we had a fun little slumber party. the best part of the night was when i woke up to her laying next to me, stroking my hair. she was just staring at me, rubbing my hair. ugh, i just wanted to squeeze the mess out of her. the night actually went by pretty quickly and in the morning, i knew it would be a struggle to keep her from drinking after felton. he had not caught it yet and i wanted to keep it that way.

just like any other day, they both woke up saying "milk milk milk". they LOVE their milk in the morning. well, unfortunately tristen wasn't going to get that luxury this morning. milk was the last thing she needed after a night of the stomach bug. i couldn't deprive my boy though so i took him into a side room and we were going to hide from tristen as he drank his milk. but, it dawned on me that he may understand the situation if i just explained it to him. yes, he is only 22 months but the two of them have a special bond and he may just understand AND HAVE SYMPATHY.

me: felton, i know you love love love your milk but so does tristen. she is not feeling well, she has an upset tummy. i want you to drink your milk in here and you can't take it out in front of sissy because it will make her sad. can you stay in here for mommy and drink your milk?

felton (all action and no words): immediately stops drinking his milk, closes the top of his sippy cup, hands it to me, climbs out of my lap and starts walking into the other room. i followed him and watched as he climbed up on the couch with tristen and sat down quietly next to her and didn't say a word.

it was in that moment that i knew he will always be sensitive to whatever she is going through...he gave up his most beloved morning milk for his sister.

the next day, i told him that tristen was feeling much better and he smiled and laughed. i didn't think much of it until a few minutes later when i walked into the kitchen and he was sitting on the floor next to her, shoving his sippy cup straw into her mouth. he was so excited that she could finally have milk again!

A sick/worn out Tristen:(

A sweet sweet milk man:)

Sacrifices

2010-03-22T11:35:00.003-04:00

Some things are just worth sacrificing. I have given up alot over the last 7 weeks...free time, TV watching, heavy dinners, sweets and blogging: ALL TO GET FIT. If you read my New Years commitment post, you know that I vowed to get back in shape this year. Well, I am on week 7 of P90X and I am kicking butt! I work out after the kids go to bed, so, I don't even sit down until 10pm each night. So, yes, my blogging has suffered. Since my nights are spent slimming down, I had to sacrifice some things and blogging was one of them. I have seen great results so I will take the absence from my blog any day of the week! I have seen the light and there is no turning back now.

I promise to update this week with a fun story or two of our hilarious kids. There is a new story that could be told each day. They are toddlers and they are amazing! Back to you soon.

Love, THE NEW FIT MOMMA!

tristen vs felton

2010-02-09T14:22:00.005-05:00

as we approached super bowl last week, there was a competitive excitement in the air. its that time of year when the 2 best teams really fight it out to see who will end up on top. no matter what the details are, there is really only one thing that matters... who WINS. unfortunately, I am not talking about the saints vs colts. i am referring to a 20 month old strong willed girl and a very physical and pushy 20 month old boy. all the sweet cuddles and kisses they once shared have just been thrown right out the window this week. its sad to watch them go at it, hit each other, throw each other down and just flat out go for blood. but they are toddlers and they are being forced to learn, grow and share everything. i have heard several twin moms say that while it is great because they have instant best friends, they are also toddlers (at the same time!) so they have instant punching bags as well. we know they are still too young to really, truly understand what is going on so we do as the experts tell us to do. we remove them from the situation and refocus their energy onto something else. it works. they instantly become happy again and forget why they were upset… until the next challenge surfaces and we all hold our breaths and wonder “who will be victorious this time?”

easy isn't always the answer

2010-01-23T19:54:00.007-05:00

20 months old couldn't be more fun. we have spent so many days of their lives just hanging around the house, because, well...with twin babies, it was just easier. once they started walking and became young toddlers, we still stayed around the house because, well...with twin toddlers in the early stages of walking around, it was just easier. now that they are running, climbing, hanging, jumping and exploring life, it just seems down right selfish to keep them in the house too much. yes, it would still be easier, but that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. so, we don't. we pack them up and we go off and explore. and it is SO MUCH FUN. i never thought such simple things in life would bring me such joy. and really it's because such simple things in life bring children such joy.

tristen has become really shy and looks down at her feet when anyone new walks up. felton is more outgoing and willing to exlore new things. he won't go without tristen though. he takes her hand and they exlore together. so, in the spirit of celebrating 20 months of life and new adventures outside the home, we expereinced some new things this weekend: story time at the library, story time at Barnes & Noble and our most favorite... pet smart! who new pet smart could be a free zoo, aquarium and playgroung all wrapped up in one!

with twins, sometimes it would be easier to stay at home. but, when i see their faces light up because of an orange fish, a new possilbe friend or a life size doggy named clifford....who cares about easy? these kids are worth every tiring moment this parenting thing has to offer! happy 20 months of life to my precious tristen & felton!

Cheers!

2009-12-30T20:54:00.006-05:00

Ceasar and I always cling our glasses and say “cheers” to each other any time we have a drink together. Well, I guess our kids have picked up on this tradition, because now they take their milk cups and “cheers” each other. Every single night. They think it’s the funniest thing in the world and I think it’s pretty dang amusing myself.

As we approach New Years Eve, I have been thinking about my life and my New Year’s resolutions. I typically don’t make any, never really have. But this year, well, THIS IS THE YEAR. I can feel it. Lots of changes are taking place in the Brown household and I am excited about 2010. The past 2 years have been the best ones of my life, so I must have really high expectations for 2010 because 08 & 09 are gonna be pretty hard to beat. Some people think that high expectations are only setting you up for disappointment. Not me. High expectations result in happiness. Why aim low? It just doesn’t even make sense to me.

My New Year’s resolutions are:

• GET BACK IN SHAPE (how cliché I know). I am starting p90X on January 4th and I am going to kick some butt! I have been dragging athletically ever since I got pregnant and there are no more excuses. I can do this! I am going to look and feel great this Spring!
• GET MORE ORGANIZED. I am not the most organized person in the world. This is no secret to anyone who knows me. I will never be the most organized person. But, I can become more organized. With a career, 2 kids, a husband and a household…I must get more organized or I am going to go crazy.
• BE PRESENT and PASSIONATE. Whatever I am doing, it’s going to have my full undivided attention. I have spread myself so thin because I take pride in being a major multi-tasker. I can do more in a day than most people can do in a week:). The problem with this is that I focus more on getting it ALL done rather than making sure I am doing it with fulfillment. I want to be present and I want to be passionate about all aspects of my life.

So, that’s my small but robust list. I believe that these 3 things will help me feel more well rounded and complete. These will hang in my office, bedroom and kitchen so that I can hold myself accountable. Gosh, I have posted them on my blog. Feel free to hold me accountable:).

Tonight when I watched my kids “cheers” each other, I was so proud. At 19 months, Tristen & Felton are the happiest children on the planet. They “cheers” each other and giggle. This is the kind of happiness I want for myself, my family and all of my friends. Cheers to a happy and healthy 2010! May we all feel giddy with happiness just like young children on Christmas day.

trading places

2009-12-16T21:43:00.005-05:00

tomorrow is tristen & felton's 18 month well visit. we are a few weeks late but that's only because, well, i forgot to make the appointment. yes, things slip by me every once in a while...i have accepted that.

18 months...wow, they are no longer babies. true toddlers they are! looking back at how their personalities have grown, it's even more amazing to see how they have flat out traded places. tristen has fully bloomed into this funny, crazy girl with lots of personality. she is no longer impatient. she is no longer loud. she is no longer mean:). more importantly, i am no longer scared of her! she is sweet, cuddly, FUNNY, outgoing, patient, sharing and so much more. ugh, i can't get enough of that sweet thing. i could spend all day kissing on those cheeks!

felton on the other hand has become a bit more feisty or should i say "boy like". he is less patient. he screams loud. he gets frustrated. he doesn't cuddle and kiss on me. until tonight... just when i was starting to get sad that he wasn't as lovey dovey, he came out of his shell again. he's definitely still more of the "mine mine mine, let me be" kinda guy, but he will blow you a kiss and step on your face all at the same time.

my locks of love

2009-11-30T22:17:00.007-05:00

while out in public and amongst friends, the questions from people have quickly switched from "how do you do it?, are they twins?, do twins run in your family?, are they identical (lol)?" to "when are you going to cut his hair cut?" not sure why people asked this so much but i have a feeling it may have been because it started getting our of control. and by IT, i mean felton's hair. you would think i was torturing the child by some of the comments i got. i guess some people think letting a boy's hair grow too long does equal torture. oh well, everyone has an opinion but mommy's is the only one that counts:). however, after holding out for months, i decided it had gotten long enough, when every moment of the day started looking like he just woke up from a long/hard afternoon nap!

so, on november 21st, felton got his first big boy hair cut. please note that ceasar was standing by really really close taking notes because "no one can cut my boy's hair better than me". this may have bee felton's only trip to the "children's salon" because i think that husband of mine, is looking forward to doing it himself. none the less, felton was a great customer and he has the cut to show for it. the pictures below tell the story!

The "Morning After"

I like pigs way more than malls

2009-11-15T21:54:00.007-05:00

There's a reason I have chosen to keep my kids away from malls. Because I dislike malls. I have never liked shopping. I like cute things but don't like going to look for them. And now to add fuel to my fire, I have recenlty (since having kids) made the discovery that most stores were designed to make life with a double stroller, lets just say, uncomfortable and challenging. Thank you, that was my small rant...

Ceasar and I took Tristen and Felton (my mom met us there) to lenox mall to ride the pink pig. It's a big tradition in Atlanta during the months of November and December. So, we thought we would check it out before the malls got too crazy for the holidays. We thought we could get some shopping done beforehand, ya know, stroll around, window shop, do a few returns, um no...Tristen quickly told us otherwise:). So, we went straight for the ride! They loved it. They were both a bit timid at first but once they realized it was a safe place, they smiled and pointed at everything. It was so cute and I couldn't get enough of them. They are such miracles to me and I just love experiencing life's little moments with them.

After the ride, we took some paparazzi photos. Felton was a little shy, so he grabbed Tristen's hand for a bit of comfort and courage...he's been doing a lot of that lately. She's becoming his comfort blanket. What a sweet sight!

Boys will be boys and girls are just more careful

2009-10-29T21:13:00.008-04:00

Even at an early age, the differences in boys and girls are very apparent. From day one, Felton has gone full force into life, while Tristen carefully approaches every situation/milestone. Felton doesn’t think about the consequences, he just goes for it. Tristen scopes out the situation, thinks about the consequences (positive and negative) and then comes to her decision. This has been a pattern with everything so far. Breastfeeding, eating solids, sippy cups, sleeping patterns, crawling, and most recently walking. Felton started walking/running into things, several months ago. Tristen, not so much. Felton has gotten cuts, bruises, burns...you name it, and it didn't stop him from going full speed ahead. I love his adventurous nature and willingness to take life head on. He’s such a boy.

For months now, people have been asking if Tristen is walking yet. My answer: “Nope, not yet.” Ceasar’s answer: “She can walk but chooses not to.” That’s the protective dad for ya:). Well, he was right. She could physically walk (we saw spurts of it at times) but she really did choose not to do it because she didn’t have it perfectly mastered yet.

Last week when I got home from work, she just walked right past me out of the blue. I couldn’t believe it! And she has been perfectly walking ever since. No falling, no crashing into the walls, none of that. Gracefully and smoothly walking around her home. What a beautiful thing to watch... Pure perfection in my eyes!

Happily ever after

2009-10-19T14:07:00.011-04:00

Part one to my story: Naturally uncrafty

After shopping around, I couldn't find any princess dresses that would fit Tristen for her Halloween costume this year. They were all toddler sizes (well besides the character ones which is not what I was looking for). A friend at work heard me talking about it and said "why don't you just make one"? Now that is just hysterical. Was she kidding? But after much encouragement, I said ok. I thought, why not? I can break out the inner craftiness in me that has been hiding for 32 years of my life. My motto has always been, if you can buy one, why try to make it? Well, I'm a mom now and it would be quite rewarding to make things for my kids. So after talking myself up (and getting a detailed shopping list from my friend), I went to Hobby Lobby and shopped, I mean stared at the walls. I called my friend several times to get clarification on everything. She told me to get elastic (there was a whole wall of elastic). She told me to get tulle (there were 50 different colors). She told me to get ribbon... you get where this is going. It was quite overwhelming and what should have taken about 20 minutes, took me over an hour. After leaving the store feeling all crafty and domestic, I had one more stop at TJMax to get a long sleeve onesie as part of the costume. As I walked in the store, I saw a whole section of really cute princess dresses. No!!! Don't tempt me! I am so close to being all domestic and then you just go and throw perfectly made princess dresses in front of me. AND, they were only $12. What do you think I did? YES. I gave in. I bought all of them. I wasn't going to attempt trying them on Tristen at the store. So, I bought every single option and took them home for her to try on.

Part 2: Naturally Fiesty

If you're gonna dress up as a princess, shouldn't you be required to act like one? If that's the case, someone needs to share this info with my feisty daughter. Only kidding...well, sort of. When I came home with several princess dresses for her to try on...she chose to scream the entire time. I guess I should note that it was past her dinner time so she was hungry and cranky. But come on, must you kick and slap while I try to put the tiara on your head? Must you throw the wand to stab me in the eye? Truth be told, her feistiness is one of the things I love most about her. I wouldn't change if for anything...

I have to admit. I was a bit sad that I wasn't going to make her dress, so I bought a pink onesie (for under her dress) and I sewed on sequins around the neck and sleeves. This alone is a huge step for me. Although it's a sparkly onesie now, my girl doesn't need any help lighting up a room.

Dear Feisty Tristen: Thank you for being my strong willed princess. You make a momma proud. I love you, Mom/Martha

A little trust can go a long way

2009-10-01T20:08:00.007-04:00

17 months into it and I am still in awe of having twins. Well, I am in awe of being a parent in general but some days my aweness is all around having twins. I am part of a few Mother's of Multiples groups and all you hear them talk about is how it keeps getting better. LOTS of work but definitely better because you get to see them form a special bond with each other. Well, I believe it. Watching them grow WITH each other is amazing. Yes, they are experiencing milestones at different times (crawling, walking, talking, etc) and we try very hard not to compare them. They are individuals to say the very least. But, at the same time, it's so fun to watch them explore this world together. There are times when I can't believe my eyes. In just the last month, I believe they have really started to understand each other. Before, it seemed like they just felt the other's presence, but now, they are forming a unique bond that is really hard to even explain. My top ten bonding moments have been:

10. Holding hands in their wagon

9. Sharing food at the table

8. Sharing milk and pacifiers

7. Tristen clapping every time Felton walks in a room

6. Tristen patting Felton's back as he burps

5. Felton laying on Tristen's back while she drinks her milk

4. Constantly sitting in each other's lap

3. Brushing each other's hair

2. Watching them meet at their favorite "stoop" at 7pm each evening to talk about their day

NUMBER ONE BONDING MOMENT:

Tristen hasn't walked on her own yet. She hasn't quite built up the confidence to do it on her own. She is so careful with everything that she does and walking is no different. She will stand up on her own but she won't walk without us holding her hands. Today, in our backyard, she was just hanging out behind Felton. They exchanged a few words (we don't understand their language yet) and then all of a sudden we witnesses the sweetest, kindest, act of trust. Watch for your own eyes.

Conversation this morning

2009-09-25T11:29:00.007-04:00

Tristen: TGIF!!!

Felton: Tristen, you are so dramatic...every day is Friday for us.

Cold drinks for two please

2009-09-16T11:43:00.005-04:00

I’ve been meaning to blog about our last beach vacation this summer. We got back a few weeks ago and it was a great 9 days in Wild Dunes. I am such a beach momma. We are such a beach family. Still taking two naps a day, we managed to take the kids to the beach every single afternoon. After their morning nap and before their afternoon nap, we would quickly feed lunch, slap on sunscreen, put on the swimmers/bathing suits, pack up the golf cart and head to the beach. Ceasar and I were usually sweating by the time we got to the beach, but every single day…it was worth it. We made sandcastles, smashed other kids sandcastles, made baby pools, collected shells, ate shells and ate sand. We went nonstop until one of them (ok, Tristen) would start crying because she was ready for her afternoon nap. What did this mean? Cold drinks and hot sun for the parents of 15 month old twins. Who would think that is possible? How is it possible to have 2 toddlers running around on the beach one minute, but the next we are chilling on the beach with cold drinks and reading magazines? One word…GRANDPARENTS. Here’s the thing, we would happily go in with our kids for their nap if we had to. We had our years of beach time with no kids and we love where we are now. Wouldn’t trade it for anything. BUT. BUT. BUT. If they offer, heck yeah! So, thanks to Mimi and Poppi for so willingly taking Tristen and Felton to the house each and every day. They have a special bond with our kids and my dad (Poppi) is just as hands on as my mom. He takes great pride in this. With twins, there is no “taking a back seat”. Mimi takes one and Poppi takes the other. It has been really fun to watch them enjoy our kids. We are SO thankful for them.

You can see the entire album from the beach to the right of this page.

No exaggeration needed

2009-09-02T22:09:00.009-04:00

I get asked all the time if Tristen and Felton are starting to talk to each other, if they play together, if they "know each other". Yes, Yes, Yes! They do all of the above AND they tongue kiss. Those who know me well may think this is me being “Dramatic Kim” but nope, they provide such great material each day, that I don't even have to exaggerate anymore.

Tonight, I was giving them their nightly milk and Tristen leaned over and served Felton his milk (sippy cup with a straw). She held his sippy cup while he drank the whole thing. He smiled the entire time and so did she. When he finished, he leaned over and gave her the sweetest kiss I have ever seen. He puckered up and she gave all tongue. It was such a sweet twin moment. I sat there and thought, “did this really just happen?” People are always making comments to me like “I don’t know how you do it”, “I can’t even imagine”, etc etc. It’s the easiest and best thing I have ever done…

Oh, he topped off the kiss with a nice loud burp. Typical boy.

Recent pictures that showcase their special bond...

Giving in to cute temptations

2009-08-17T21:37:00.005-04:00

Most days I resist dressing Tristen and Felton alike. When they were newborns, I did it more often than now. I kind of pride myself in not dressing them alike. I don't know why but I just do. But today, I left my pride at the door and put them in outfits that their Aunt Ashley bought for them when they were first born. And, oh my gosh…today, was just too freaking cute. I might have to give in and be "that twin mom" every once in a while. If I’m gonna work twice as hard, then why not reap the shameless benefits of dressing them alike. You tell me. Should I give in more often?

I know it's out of order (Thing 2 and Thing 1) but I only had a few seconds to take the picture before they were off to something new.

Even though this picture may not reflect it, they actually loved these outfits and had fun all day.

Tiny moments that are oh so big!

2009-08-06T20:45:00.006-04:00

Life isn't a matter of milestones but of moments. -Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy

In just one day, we had 2 great moments. At the end of each work day, I sooo look forward to walking in my house. This Monday, I had a busy day at work and I was mentally exhausted when I got home. Like most days, Tristen and Felton were waiting for me in the den with smiles and screams. They literally scream when we get home each day. This day was different though. When I walked in, Tristen raised her arms asking me to pick her up. As I lifted her and put her on my hip, she laid her head down on my chest and took the deepest sigh. I know this might sound way overly sentimental, but with her sigh, it’s like she was saying “mommy, I’m so glad you're home”. She melted my heart. I thought it was only going to be a moment of sweetness but she kept laying there for a good 3 minutes. Long enough for Becky (our nanny) to get her camera and take this picture. It was such a tender moment that was way better than anything I could have ever imagined. Tough day at work, went right out the door.

On the very same day, Felton had a moment of his own. He decided that it was time to conquer this world on his feet. I don’t think he realizes what he’s doing when he walks but Tristen claps and yells “GEE GEE” (her nickname for him) every time he does it. She loves for him to be in the spotlight. She is Felton’s biggest fan.

Here's some footage from my phone. I apologize for the chaos noise but I still haven't had time to transfer from my video camera so my phone footage that I took right before bed (when they were tired) will have to do for now.

This was all just on Monday. It was a good day.

Lasagna for two

2009-07-26T21:17:00.001-04:00

Growing up, Lasagna was always my favorite meal. Every birthday, my parents would take me to The Spaghetti Factory in downtown Atlanta to eat Lasagna. Every time I filled out one of those questionnaires as a child, everyone else listed pizza and cheeseburgers as their favorite food, mine always = lasagna!

So, tonight I decided to make my first homemade lasagna. You would think if I loved it so much, I wouldn’t settle for the Stouffers all these years but it just never occurred to me to actually make my own. After a fun filled Sunday with my family, I decided to whip up a quick homemade lasagna. I had hungry kids in the background and I got them to be quiet by throwing chicken fingers and broccoli at them. It wasn’t quite that dramatic but it seemed like it was. I can be QUITE determined when I have my mind set on something. I was going to make this lasagna tonight. I have learned to be a very quick chef these days. Therefore, as the kids ate their dinner, I made this gourmet meal for Ceasar and me (please note: kids will get to eat this tomorrow night:).

I finished the dish, popped it in the oven, all in perfect timing to carry Tristen and Felton up for their evening bath. I found myself thinking only of this lasagna. My children were splashing and playing and all I could see was noodles and meat and sauce and ricotta cheese. Once we finished our sweet evening routine, I looked at Ceasar and said “well, it’s time for bed”. He said “what, we still have a few minutes”? “oh no buddy, not tonight, I thought”. What I said was “well, they seem extra tired tonight”. So, there, I have said it, I put my children down a few minutes early tonight to eat my homemade lasagna!

Oh, and it was a GLORIOUS LASAGNA. Sleep tight…don’t let the bed bugs bite!

After THE FIRST BIRTHDAY

2009-07-22T20:50:00.004-04:00

It’s been almost a month since my last posting. This is sad to me because I enjoy sharing our lives on this blog and have gotten such positive feedback from readers. I was talking to Ceasar the other day about the fact that it’s been so long since I have written and he said, “maybe it’s because we are past the first year”. We talked about the fact that during the first year, everything is just so new and there are so many emotions. The babies were changing so much every day and I had new emotions/thoughts all the time. The first year was such a transitional year and as a couple, we were figuring this parenting thing out day by day. We thought, maybe we were now in our groove, and there wasn’t as much to talk about. And just as I was starting to believe this theory and thought maybe this blog was only meant to last for the first year, I quickly slapped myself in the face and said no way! This is only the beginning! The truth is, we definitely have fallen into more of a routine. The days and weeks tend to go by quickly and the summer is flying past us. I feel like there was such an anticipation for THE FIRST BIRTHDAY that everything has kind of just passed us by since then. I am constantly hearing parents talk about how quickly their kids are growing up…”time just flies and before you know it, they will be graduating from high school”. Well, I won’t let this happen. We pride ourselves in enjoying each and every moment and not always looking for the next best thing. We rarely talk about when they will walk or when they will talk. Our typical conversation is about that day and the furthest we usually talk about, is the weekend ahead. So, as we are living in the moment and not letting the time pass us by, I ask this blog to hold me accountable. I want to appreciate every single day that has taken place, and will take place AFTER THE FIRST BIRTHDAY. I promise to continue capturing our lives through this blog, even if it’s just for my accountability.

Update from the last month:
ME- I have been busier than ever at work. I’m still trying to juggle it all. It’s a daily challenge and I hope to be there soon. I traveled to Minneapolis for a week and then went on my annual vacation with my girlfriends from high school. All the while, I am finally attempting to get back in shape through yoga and some, I repeat some (ok, once) running.
CEASAR- He’s been running the house since I’ve been gone. He did great. That Ceasar never seizes to amaze me. He loves taking care of his kids but he LOVES me being home even more:).
FELTON-He is all over the place. He can’t stand still for a minute. Because of this, he has busted his lip, bruised his cheek, cut his head and smiled the entire time.

TRISTEN- This princess is just as beautiful as ever (I can say that right?). She is talking away, giving hugs and kisses to everyone and is just simply the sweetest girl. I think she is really starting to look like Ceasar.

A Simple Day

2009-06-30T15:46:00.004-04:00

My dad had shoulder surgery on Monday, so my mom wasn’t able to come keep the kids for “her Monday”. Outcome: I got to spend my birthday at home with my kids. It was a great day. Since becoming a mom, (well I would say it happened a few years back) I have become pretty simple. I don’t need the glamorous things. Don’t get me wrong, I like nice dinners and fun trips but I had those for many years in my pre-kids life. Now, at this stage of my kids life, I like just being home, in my backyard watching them play. I could watch them for hours. So, that is exactly what I did for my birthday. I turned 32 and I am in the best place of my life. It was a HAPPY Birthday to say the very least. I’m excited to see what year #33 brings…

What a difference a year makes

2009-06-19T13:50:00.006-04:00

Last year around this time, we took Tristen and Felton to the beach. Well, we took them to my parent’s beach house. They never made it down to the beach. They were so young and we knew it would be more work than fun to actually take them down to the beach. So, in order to keep all things happy in our world, we opted to keep them on their rigid schedule, as this was during those first few months we were working SO HARD (let me repeat: SO HARD) to get them on the same schedule. Fast forward a year later and it was quite a different beach trip. I have decided to highlight a few of the more notable differences below. Please note that while this year was much more enjoyable:), we still appreciate the first year because we know we will never get those sweet first baby days back.
LAST YEAR (LY)

THIS YEAR (TY)

LY:We were nervous new parents to twins TY:We are relaxed excited parents
LY:The drive took 8 hours TY:It only took 4 hours and 45 minutes
LY:Packed my pump and 1 million bottles TY:Threw groceries in a bag and was on our way
LY:Naps all day long (Eat, activity, Sleep: repeat) TY:Down to a morning nap and afternoon nap
LY:Up all throughout the night TY:Sleeping all night long
LY:No beach TY:Beach every single day
LY:No pool TY:Lots of pool time
LY:Their skin did not see the sun TY:They got SO tan
LY:I spent all day pumping and cleaning bottles TY:I drank cold beer and got a tan
LY:They only wore onesies TY:They wore sundresses, hats, bathing suits, sunglasses
LY:I wore a tankini TY:Ok, I still wore a tankini…beach trip in august, I will be in my bikinis!

Looking back, last year seems so hard but while we were in it, we were tired yes, but unhappy…not at all. It’s the journey that has been so fun. This year, we really enjoyed watching Tristen & Felton explore everything the beach had to offer. Here is a sneak preview of the week. The entire album is on the right of this page.

Vote for me

2009-06-03T10:46:00.003-04:00

I have really enjoyed this whole blogging thing so I decided to enter a contest. I am trying out to be a new writer on one of my favorite blogs… www.howdoyoudoit.wordpress.com It’s a blog focusing on families of multiples and currently has 16 contributors. They recently posted an entry asking for a new author to add to their roster. So, go on TODAY and if you like my entry, vote for me. The deadline is this Sunday. Thanks for your support!

Who says moms can't drop the top?

2009-06-01T21:37:00.008-04:00

I love being a mom. I find it very entertaining to watch myself. One year into it and I am starting to get the whole process down. You go out with the kids, you take a diaper bag. You go out with the kids in the heat, you take sippy cups. You go out with the kids to a restaurant, you bring a stroller. This may sound like common sense to some of you but for me, it took a few times:). I have left the diaper bag, the sippy cups and the stroller. Imagine it. Two babies, no diaper bag, someone was bound to need a new diaper during dinner. Yep, I learned my lesson quickly!

I’m a working mom so during the week I grab my latte and laptop bag and run out the door. So, when it’s the weekend, I try to switch into full mommy mode… drive the big car, pack up the diaper bag (double duty) and head out to hit the park, shopping, lunch, etc. But occasionally, I still try to be the pre-mom Kim. Well, it’s my revised version. Pre-mom days, I would hop in my convertible and leisurely go to Target to walk the aisles and get groceries, clothes, makeup, whatever excited me at that moment. Now, I still hop in my convertible (during nap time of course) but I have 45 minutes to get everything done. I have my list, I run through the aisles, I text Ceasar making sure they are still asleep and I quickly get it all done. If my phone rings, I don’t answer it. Who has time to talk? If I see a cute top, I buy it. Who has time to try things on? I gotta get to the diaper aisle. When I'm finished, I run to my car, drop the top, turn up my radio and enjoy the 2.5 minute ride home. Only now, I fill up the back seat with much different items. You can imagine the looks I get on the road. I get such a kick out of days like this!

The first of many

2009-05-18T22:28:00.003-04:00

My first mother’s day could not have been more special. I spent the weekend at my favorite place, the lake, with my favorite people (Ceasar, Tristen, Felton & Magic). It was the first of many things. The first time they got in the water, the first time they put on a bathing suit, the first time they wore sunscreen, and the first time I got to celebrate Mother’s Day. The outcome of the day:
Tristen didn’t exactly love the water

Felton could have chilled in the lake all day

They looked adorable in their bathing suits, and I got a beautiful gift.

I wasn’t expecting a gift. I told Ceasar that all I wanted was to be at the lake with my family (wow, I just sounded like my mom). But to much surprise, as we were all sitting on the floor playing, Felton handed me a card and a box. A small brown box. I opened it up and it was a beautiful emerald and diamond necklace. I was so surprised. I’m the girl who wears Target earings. I’m not one that needs nice jewelry but wow, I was speechless. Ceasar said he wanted to get me something very special for my first mother’s day. He wanted to give me their birthstone and it was in the shape of a circle...for the circle of life. He hopes that Tristen will one day wear it on her wedding day and if she is blessed enough to have her own children, I can pass it down on her first mother's day and so on and so on. He put such thought into this gift and as much as I LOVE all the gifts he has ever given me, this is by far, the most special gift. He said that I will only have my first mother’s day once and he wanted it to be special. He knows I don’t need diamonds. The necklace is beautiful but the thought that went into it and the dreams of the future it holds, is priceless.

Thanks to my family for a very memorable first Mother's Day!

Cheeks were made for storage

2009-05-14T20:35:00.010-04:00

It has been way too long since I have written on here. It has been a busy few weeks. Busy at work, busy at home, busy busy busy. Alot has happened in the last several weeks (outside of work)...my dad's 60th surprise party, mother's day, introducing real food to my children and my brain is so fried I have to stop there. Mother's day will get its own posting so I will upload some pictures this weekend and write about that amazing day. But for now, I will tell you about the food situation. OMG (for my older readers, that means oh my gosh:)...Tristen has been a hand full. For the first week or so, she spit everything out that we tried. Everything EXCEPT BREAD. We would put cheese, sweet potatoes and green beans in front of her and she would spit it out. The second we put bread on the table, oh she went to town. Felton on the other hand, he will eat whatever you put in front of him. He is easy. So, dinner time has been interesting but it has taught us, ok me, patience. I just smile and encourage. Smile and encourage. This week, things changed drastically. Ceasar has had something for work every night so it has just been me feeding them. I guess Tristen has been showing out for her dad because all of the sudden, she likes everything. It's great! She likes everything, especially broccoli. That's her favorite. But there's a catch. You know those cheeks of hers? The ones that stop people in the streets. Well, she stores all her food in those cheeks like a chipmunk. If you don't believe me just look for yourself. She thinks we don't know. Look at her left cheek...

Felton on the other hand, he just wants to EAT. No storage going on in that mouth.

They make the nights fun!

Pushing me through the finish line

2009-04-24T11:09:00.005-04:00

Wow, that woman is my role model
That is what I call a supermom
Oh my gosh, if she is pushing two, then I have no excuses

Those were the comments I heard as I was running, pushing and barely breathing during the Sweetwater 420 run last weekend. It may sound like I am bragging by telling you those comments but I’m not. IT WAS HARD. I barely made it. The race was pretty much all up hill and I have run a total of 3 times in 2 years. And of those 3 times, they were about 1 mile each time. My friend Jenni invited me to run and I thought, why not? Ceasar was golfing and this would be fun to do with friends and Tristen & Felton. As I walked up to the registration I saw many eyes on me. Not the typical, aw cute, she has twins… but more like, this woman is crazy thinking she can push two babies on this course. A few people even said to me, you may want to consider running without them, this is a really hilly course. What am I gonna do? Leave them on the curb! So never pushing them up a hill and running, let alone never running in a race, we hit the streets. It was so empowering. I felt such a sense of pride. Because I work, I don’t have many opportunities with my children alone. When I am with them (at night and on the weekends), Ceasar and I usually have them together so it’s more 1 on 1 time. It’s rare that I am with them all by myself. And as you know if you read this blog, Ceasar does A LOT when we go out. So, I had them alone, down at Candler park running a 5k. It was awesome. Jenni was awesome. She relieved me and pushed the stroller at times that I literally thought I was going to vomit. My goal was to run the entire way. I was not going to give in and finish by walking. That is the athlete in me.

My college coach taught me how to push past my limits. Even when I thought it was impossible, she taught me to keep on going. In college, I was motivated by fear. She was a great coach! Now, I am motivated by my children. I just felt like they were so proud of me for making it and pushing them past the finish line. A 5k may not sound like a lot to some of you but I am the most of out of shape right now that I have ever been in my life. However, when I crossed the finish line with my 2 children, I felt like the most fit mom on the planet. It turns out that I didn't push them through the finish line, they pushed me.

Ceasar's humor remains strong...even in the ER

2009-04-10T21:39:00.003-04:00

A happy reunion

2009-04-09T21:05:00.005-04:00

CEASAR IS HOME! Thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers. It was a happy reunion today at the Brown Household. Tristen sang all night long (literally) and Felton danced and laughed. It was amazing...when Ceasar walked in the door, their eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. Some may think it's not possible for 10 month old babies to be this aware but I witnessed it today. Our babies sensed something was wrong and they felt whole once he was home. (for those who don't know, Ceasar was hospitalized this week after blacking out at work on Monday).

We've always been very thankful for what we have. If you read our blog you know this is true. We don't take things for granted and we try not to sweat the small stuff. I would like to think we didn't need this week's scare to refocus on the important things...we try to do that each day. None the less, this definitely was a reminder that life is fragile, never take our health for granted and most importantly, enjoy each day to the fullest.

So, tomorrow, Saturday, Sunday, and so on, we will celebrate each other and every day we have together.
Happy Easter!

The rest of these pictures are in the album to the right. Photos taken by Carrie Tabb http://www.carrietabbphotography.com/

update on Ceasar

2009-04-08T23:18:00.006-04:00

It's late and I am tired but oh so thankful. I will post more later but wanted to give a quick update on Ceasar for those I have not been able to talk to yet:

He is doing well! After quite the scare on Monday, we got the results back today and everything looks good. Heart, lungs, head, blood...all look good. Diagnosis as of today: dehydration, extremely high muscle enzymes and an infection that is being treated with antibiotics.

It was quite the scare on Monday afternoon when he passed out at work. It has been a long week in the hospital but we are so thankful Ceasar is ok. I will keep it at that for now. I'm sure I/we will post more of our thoughts later...

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Once again, we are reminded that we have amazing friends and family.

I love you Ceasar. Thank you God.

Teething Easter Bunny

2009-03-30T09:47:00.004-04:00

Our little Easter Bunny is not her happy self these days. She is handling it as best as she can but her poor little teeth are trying to pop through and it is not making her happy. So, we decided to go to Target (aka our playground) to get her out of the house on a rainy Saturday. All the toys and colors made her smile...so did the bunny ears. This is going to be such a fun Easter!

"These are the best days of my life"

2009-03-17T20:49:00.009-04:00

Tonight Ceasar has a basketball game so I am at home with Tristen & Felton. I love being here by myself with them. Don't get me wrong, I love Ceasar's company, but every once in a while, it is quite rewarding to tuck them in by myself. When I travel, I know Ceasar feels the same way. It's such a gratifying feeling to look at 2 healthy babies that are spitting images of you and know that it was another good day. They are amazing.

Since I am always giving my insight on this blog, I thought I would ask Ceasar some questions on fatherhood to give you a glimpse into his thoughts today.

Questions on Fatherhood

What was your first thought when you found out you were having a baby? I felt the greatest amount of accomplishment when I found out we were pregnant. We tried for a year and a half and though I never gave up hope, getting pregnant become this place I knew existed, I just didn't know how to get there. I was very excited and didn't think I could wait 9 months for the baby.

What was your first thought when you found out you were having TWO babies? I thought how in the world did we get so lucky. My second thought came out of my mouth and it was, "Are there anymore in there?" There weren't.

What is your favorite thing about fatherhood? Being a father. That entails a ton of things, things I can't begin to list due to time constraints. But for me, to touch, kiss, baby scratches to my face, the hugs, the whole experience is my favorite thing about fatherhood. I love being the protector and comforter of my kids.

Is it what you expected? It is what I expected. But I think it is a whole lot more too. I thought it would be harder, but it turned out to be easier. The rewards of actually seeing your babies develop is what you don't envision or expect or can't begin to measure until they are in your life.

What is unique about being a father of twins? With twins, a parent must make an effort to give more love to many as opposed to all the love to one. This is challenging, but it is also an opportunity like no other. As a father, I get all the kisses and hugs one man could dream of from his babies. And because I can go from one baby to the other, I don't necessarily annoy them too much! Being a father to boy/girl twins, I am able to have a soft little girl to love on and a tough little busy boy who gets sweaty and cranky and wants to lay his head on my shoulder. The best!

What is the most challenging thing about having twins? Obviously, being able to physically take care of two instead of one is the greatest challenge. When I'm alone with them, my fear is that one will need special attention, so what do you do with the other one? But so far, so good. The most challenging thing with having twins for me is being able, physically able, to hold them and love on them at the same time. But I know this will be less difficult once they are able to grab and hug daddy’s neck.

If you had to choose one word that described your personality as a Father, what would it be? I have 2 words that equally come to mind: involved, thankful.

What are you most excited about? Everything. The next kiss. The next hug. The first words. Bedtime. Waking them up in the morning. Their laughter. Their cry when they want to be held. A smile on their faces. The next time their little hands touch my face. I am excited about them making eye contact with each other again. These are the best days of my life! Thank you God.

Pictures taken at " Uncle Junior's" wedding

No worries at The Caves

2009-03-11T23:18:00.002-04:00

We recently returned from our first big vacation away from Tristen & Felton. Anyone who knows us well, knows that we are deeply infatuated with our children. We don’t care to go out to dinners, movies or even to the store without them with us. People are always offering to keep them and we just have no desire. Our theory is that we were married for 7 years before they came along and now we want to celebrate every day with them. We just don’t ever want a break. Knowing this, we thought it was going to be really hard for us to take a vacation away from them. Wrong. We had a blast and don’t feel guilty about it at all! There were a few factors that didn’t hurt the situation:
1. We were at a resort that did not allow children. Therefore, we did not see any babies to make us feel that sick pit in our stomach.
2. We were at a resort that didn’t have internet or tv’s in the room. Therefore, we did not see any pictures of babies that could make us feel that sick pit in our stomach.
3. We were at a resort that was unbelievable breathtaking.
4. My parents were keeping them and we were excited about them connecting with Tristen & Felton in a way that you can’t do with 3 hour visits to our house. (side note-thanks mom & dad, you guys did an amazing job with them!)

All that being said, we did miss them but we enjoyed every single moment of our vacation. What a blast! Without sounding too mushy, it was a reminder of how much Ceasar and I enjoy being with each other. We didn’t need activities, golf, tv, computers, facebook or cell phones. It was us, the sun and our surroundings. After 9 months of loving and focusing on our new little miracles, Ceasar and I were back to our roots. Just the 2 of us…

It was 5 nights and 6 days of sheer relaxation and bliss. When it was time to go home, we acknowledged the beauty of the place, the beauty of our friendship and marriage, packed it all up and headed to the airport. Heading to the airport, we were literally crawling out of our skin with excitement to see Tristen & Felton. The reunion was like 2 kids in a candy shop (Ceasar and I being the kids). We could not get enough of them!

How often should couples pack it up and head off alone without their children? Should parents feel guilty? My answer is as often as you want and you shouldn’t feel guilty at all. I love the balance. I can’t wait to vacation WITH them but I also look forward to future vacations with my husband alone.

Our pictures are in the album to the right. We tried to capture it all. If you ever want to get away to a fabulous place… http://www.thecavesresort.com/

No worries mon!

A small price to pay

2009-02-21T22:49:00.005-05:00

Tristen and Felton are so worth it. Tristen and Felton are so worth it. Tristen and Felton are so worth it. These are the words I chanted as I was trying on bathing suits at the mall today. Some may ask, why would you do that to yourself? Well, Ceasar and I are going to Jamaica next week (we are really excited to go on a tropical getaway. 5 nights of R&R! To be honest, Tristen & Felton are such great babies that we actually get plenty of sleep. But, it will be nice to get away with Ceasar to a sunny island… fruity drinks, great food, lots of sun and massages. I’m sure after a few drinks each day, we will do nothing but talk about how much we miss our babies. But, we will survive!)

Back to my shopping experience. So, I don’t use the “twin card” often but I think I will today. For those who saw me in my final pregnancy days, you know how HUGE I got. I was so thankful for it because it meant that my babies were big and healthy. For those who never saw me pregnant, here are a few pictures.
22 weeks

27 weeks

34 weeks

36 weeks

It’s hard to get the full effect when I am fully clothed but I decided against posting pictures of myself wearing just a sports bra and yoga pants. Those pictures are in sane. We were looking back at them today and WOW. I needed to look back at them to remind myself that it is ok for me not to be back into my bikini body. I honestly don’t even know if it would be physically possible considering what my body went through. Again, I don’t plan to use the “twin card” a lot but come on, I give myself the pass on this one. I do have dreams of one day being back in a bikini, but for now, I will proudly wear my tankini. Why does it not bother me more? As I was trying on bathing suits, I looked in the mirror and 2 sweet faces were staring back at me from their stroller. Felton was actually sticking his tongue out at me and Tristen was blowing bubbles. I smiled, laughed out loud, put the bathing suits back on the hanger and said let’s go home and play.

What could have been a bad day of shopping turned into another day of gratitude.

pink & blue.. no grey areas around here

2009-02-10T21:19:00.008-05:00

We are now 8 months into this and the real fun is starting to kick in. I imagine we will say this at every new stage.

It's a blast to watch their personalities form right in front of our eyes. We are amazed to see the different traits in them. They are growing up in the same environment, at the same time, yet they are so unique and special.

Tristen is such a girl. She is shy (covers her face to strangers), particular, sweet, gives hugs, sings in her crib and blushes when her daddy gives her kisses. Tristen is our little lady.

Felton is such a boy. He is loud, playful, rough and ALL OVER THE PLACE. The boy has got some speed. He is relentless and isn't afraid of anything. He is our little man.

Regardless of their differences, one thing is for sure, they are in this adventure together. From the looks of things now, they're gonna have each other's back for sure.

an amazing little girl

2009-01-28T12:01:00.005-05:00

I have waited a while to blog about one of my favorite people in the world. Things have been a little busy since we had Tristen & Felton so I wanted to wait until things settled down before I gave this person the proper introduction that she deserves. Prior to my babies arriving in this world, I had VERY little experience with babies. Most of my friends didn’t have children and therefore, babies were not in my every day life. However, back in January of 2001, a little baby girl came into this world and stole my heart. She was beautiful, sweet and perfect! I was in the room when she was born. I was young and wasn’t ready for children but I thought if this is what it’s like…bring it on!

My niece Kharis just turned 9 years old. She is so special to me. Even though she lives in Orlando, we are so close. Over the last 9 years, I have made every effort to be the best Aunt I could possibly be for her. It goes without saying, Ceasar is an exceptional Uncle. Our relationship is special in many ways. She was the only child in our family for many years and trust me when I say, she got ALL THE LOVE.

It was an adjustment for Kharis when we had Tristen & Felton. She handled it amazingly though. She is the smartest and most caring child I know. She’s a deep thinker and cares for her family like you wouldn’t think is possible. I would watch her look at Ceasar and me as we rocked our babies and fed them. I could see the look in her eyes. These babies came into this world and stole us away from her. It broke my heart but I knew that she would understand one day. Actually, I think she understood it all on that day. We were too tired for our usual slumber parties, there was no time for manicures & pedicures, wrestling matches with Ceezy were just too loud, you get the point. We had to say no to Kharis for the first time in her life. Her response: It’s ok Kimmi, how can I help with the babies? Simply put…she is amazing.

So, here’s to my niece Kharis. The most amazing 9 year old I know. We love you girl. You are the best!

Love, Aunt Kimmi and Uncle Ceezy

like the song goes, SO HAPPY TOGETHER...

2009-01-26T21:26:00.002-05:00

Taking one for the team

2009-01-19T14:25:00.002-05:00

Our household is on the path to a sick free zone. Everyone is feeling better and we have survived (the first of many I’m sure) the circle of sickness. It is inevitable that we will all pass along things to each other for years to come.

It was right about the time that all were healed, that chaos broke out once again. The 5 of us were hanging out playing in bed, enjoying our Saturday morning, when the smiles and laughter turned to blood and tears. Ceasar was holding Felton and he was jumping all around and then it happened. Felton jumped right out of Ceasar’s arms straight toward Tristen. In an effort to save Tristen’s pretty little face and big shiny cheeks, Ceasar pushed Felton to the side to avoid landing on Tristen. Well, he avoided her alright and landed smack on my nose. Pop! Next thing I knew, I was laying face down in a pool full of blood and my face felt as flat as a board. I just knew my nose was broken. As I laid in pain and tears, all I could think about was how glad I was that it was ME and not Tristen. It suddenly dawned on me how natural parenting actually is. Ceasar instinctively and quickly saved Tristen and I so honorably took the HIT. I’m sure my children will thank me later.

So, during this party of five on a nice quiet Saturday morning, I stepped up and took one for the team…

OUCH.

One big circle of YUCK

2009-01-14T22:33:00.007-05:00

Whew. This has been one crazy/sick filled week. I definitely got my crash course in parenting this week. Let me give you the rundown of our 2nd week into 2009:

Wednesday- I wake up in the middle of the night, sick with the 24 hour stomach bug. I was SO sick! Ceasar stayed home to take care of Tristen & Felton b/c our new nanny didn't start until the following week.
Thursday- My dad came over to take care of Tristen & Felton b/c my mom came down with the 24 hour stomach bug too (what is going on???). I was still sick all day but started to recover at night. Felton starts getting sick with a bad cough and congestion. We take a trip to the doctor for Felton.
Friday- I am in recovery. Uh oh, Felton gets sicker. Trip #2 to the doctor for Felton. Ceasar starts feeling sick…real sick. Flu like symptoms (fever, sweats, all the fun stuff)
Saturday- Felton sick. Ceasar sick. Tristen is a happy camper…oh wait, oh wait, here it comes…Tristen throws up on me. Tristen caught what I had...the dreaded stomach bug!
Sunday- Felton sick. Ceasar sick. Tristen sick. I took care of everyone.

We made it through the weekend and surely the upcoming week will be brighter. Think again. I have now caught what Felton and Ceasar had/have...flu like symptoms. This has been one big circle of yuckness. Surely, things will start to get back to normal soon.

Sometimes you just can't resist having fun with twins

2009-01-08T23:23:00.004-05:00

Holiday glow

2009-01-06T16:08:00.004-05:00

I have not blogged in so long. On many occasions though, I have stopped in the middle of something and thought “this would be a great blog topic” but then I couldn’t seem to find the time to hop on my computer and therefore, the opportunity would quickly pass.

So, here is me diving back into this slowly. We had a great Christmas and New Years. It was a little scattered with driving, sick babies, family in town…you know, the usual holiday stuff. All in all though, we were able to slow down and enjoy the first holiday season with Tristen & Felton. Like I said, I had many blog moments with very insightful thoughts, but those moments passed and now all I have are cute pictures for the time being. Now that life is back to normal, I hope to get back into the routine of blogging weekly. We hope you all had a great holiday season. Here are the top line events that took place for us.

1. We became addicted to the TV series called Heroes. Seriously addicted…
2. Felton came down with a virus called Roseola (basically a 3 day high fever with a bad rash)
3. Tristen cheeks GLOW in the dark. They really do GLOW.
4. Felton laughs at everything (no need to tickle him…he will laugh on his own. Let me repeat, NO NEED TO TICKLE HIM…he will laugh on his own)
5. We have slowly started baby sign language
6. We started running with our new BOB Stroller (thanks mimi and poppi). It’s amazing.
7. We hired a new nanny.
8. We realized that having kids makes the holidays just that much more amazing!

New Cousin Kyson

Aunt Ashley

Christmas really is a MAGICal time of year

2008-12-17T22:05:00.006-05:00

I have a little lump in my throat just at the thought of writing this blog. Let me start by saying that our dog, Magic, has surprised us all! Everyone has their dog story from when the baby or babies were brought into the home. They get jealous, protective, sad, you name it. But no one was really sure what the story was going to be in our household.

For 7 years, Magic has been our child. The story goes back to our first Christmas as a married couple in 2001. Ceasar hid Magic behind his back (in the palm of his hand) and surprised me on Christmas day. It was so exciting. I cried. For the next 7 years, he was it. We were obsessed. I was in love with my dog.

Fast Forward 7 years and we were pregnant with twins. Everyone had their comments. "you will forget about Magic"...etc. etc. We have NOT! He sleeps in our bed, he still gets our kisses and we still love him. Yes, its different but we love him the same.

He is amazing with Tristen and Felton. I have posted many pictures that display his affection for those little ones. He lays right in between them and just lays his head on their legs. Not to mention, they love him right back...especially Tristen. She LOVES him.

Well, if you got our Christmas card this year, you know that he did not make the picture. This is not because we have forgotten about him. It is simply because we could not take him to the "photo sitting". It was not physically possible. We had a 20 minute professional shoot outside and it would have never worked. So, in honor of our beloved Magic at this Magical time of year, we gave him the spotight. He had his own personal photo shoot and I must say he was stunning.

Here's to you Magic. You will always be our first. We love you SCHUNNY!

Felton didn't even have to leave the house this morning to see the Doctor

2008-12-09T21:03:00.003-05:00

As I was getting ready this morning, I placed Felton on one side of the playmat and Tristen on the other. I went into my bathroom to get something and came out to a pretty funny sight...my children playing Doctor. Felton had rolled all the way over to Tristen (he is like a tumbleweed these days) and he either placed his head on her lap or she grabbed it and placed it for him (I think it's safe to say it is probably the latter of two). I grabbed my camera and took these 2 pictures. Felton is such a good brother to take this kind of abuse from Tristen...
"Felton, stop moving, this is not going to hurt!"- Dr. Tristen

My 5 star hotel...is home.

2008-11-23T14:22:00.005-05:00

Thanks to The Secret, I have learned to count my blessings and see the positive in all situations. I really do believe that The Secret changed the way I view life. There is not a day that goes by that I do not acknowledge all the good in my life. I don’t focus on the negative. It’s a waste of time and energy. I wanted to preface this story with that tid bit of info because I DO acknowledge my blessings, daily. However, every once in a while you have a moment that gives you the opportunity to reflect and really count your blessings.

I traveled this week for the first time in about a year. My pregnancy was considered “high risk”, so I had to stop traveling after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Since Tristen and Felton were born, I have not needed to travel for work. This week, I went to Boston. I was not anxious at all about leaving them because if you read this blog or know us at all, you know that Ceasar is more than capable of being Mr. Mom. In our household, it is almost more accurate to call me Mrs. Dad. That is how good he is. Anyway, I was going on a business trip and it was pretty first class. I was holding a “meet and great” for an NBA player and some sweepstakes winner. I was able to work out a deal (through some contacts) and stay at a really nice hotel in downtown Boston (for a great rate- yes, we are all on a budget in this tough economy). This hotel was the kind of place where they greet you at the door with a glass of champagne and take your bags. My room was plush, the service was impeccable and they treated me like gold because I brought this NBA player to their hotel for my event. At the end of the night, I got in bed, looked around at my ridiculously nice room and thought… there’s no place like home. My 5 star hotel consists of a small house in Woodstock with big bouncy chairs and loud monitors and when I walk through my front door, my glass of champagne looks like this:

P.S This is what you call a "MOMMY BAR"!

Comfort meets crazy

2008-11-13T22:45:00.007-05:00

My husband is a FREAK! I never realized how "particular" Ceasar was until we had kids. He definitely likes things a certain way and it makes him anxious if things vary a little. This has been so funny to witness because (pre-kids) he was a fairly laid back guy. No no no...not when it comes to our babies. It's too hot outside, it's too windy, the lights are too bright, it's too loud. Well, to be honest, it is TOO CUTE how much he cares about their comfort. And that's really all it boils down to. He wants to provide comfort. A perfect example of this was last night. I wanted to take them downstairs to play before we put them down for the night and this was the conversation:

Kim: honey, lets go downstairs

Ceasar: it's too cold

Kim: lol no it's not! we are in our house.

Ceasar: I think it's too cold
Kim: Just come down and play

So, I pick up Felton and we head downstairs. I put Felton in his play chair and go into the kitchen. I come out, and this is what I see. Tristen with DOUBLE layers on. She has pajamas on (flannel with feet) PLUS another pair of pants and a coat and if you notice in the background...he turned the fire on as well! Oh, I laughed so hard! At times I do think he is crazy but what can I

say about a father that just wants to provide comfort for his children?

A proud day...the first of many.

2008-11-10T16:22:00.019-05:00

Yesterday (Sunday), Tristen and Felton were dedicated at Smoke Rise Baptist Church. This is the church I grew up in. For many years, I watched "old people" walk up front with their babies and I always thought the parents looked so proud. Time and time again, babies would scream, cry or just quietly smile at the congregation as the parents stood there beaming. Well, after many years, it was now my turn! But for some reason, I looked much younger & cooler than those people did back in the day:). I stood there with MY husband and MY babies and felt so proud. We weren't sure what to expect from our lively daughter and playful son. We knew it could go a number of different ways. But as we stood up front, they both were perfect. I wouldn't have minded if they decided to scream, after all, they are babies. But to much surprise, they chose to keep things quiet.
After church, my parents hosted a lunch for family and close friends. Ham, Turkey, Cheesy apples, you know...all that good Thanksgiving type food. At the end of the day, Ceasar and I looked at each other and realized that this was the first of many days we will celebrate our children. We look forward to all the days ahead...birthdays, sporting events, graduations, weddings. Oh gosh, weddings...I think I will keep Felton all to myself and I am pretty sure Ceasar feels the same way about Tristen.

See more pictures in the album titled "baby dedication 11/9/08".

Blog Tag

2008-10-29T23:03:00.004-04:00

Mandy Thrasher "blog tagged" me so I am supposed to tell 5 random things about me:

1. I was the first girl to ever win the Big Wheel Race at Tucker Days. I made the front page of the newspaper. The headline read "It's a girl".

2. I broke my arm when I was a kid. My sister and I were playing airplane and somehow I landed on the TV.

3. My dad and I once entered a store and the sales guy asked him "how old is your son?" Thanks mom for that special haircut!

4. My favorite book is The Secret.
5. Growing up, I always told my mom I wanted twins.

Speaking of...check out the latest:).

Now I tag Sharon and Margarita.

Things are changing...

2008-10-20T11:23:00.010-04:00

I love the fall. It's my favorite time of year. The leaves are changing and the weather is cooler. Something about the fall makes me feel like I need to attend every possible fall festival out there. Obviously, that's not gonna happen this year. However, we did make it to the Taste of Roswell this weekend since it's just up the street from us. We started out with our double stroller but quickly realized 1. we looked like a freak show 2. there was no room to even walk side by side let alone push around our 15 foot long stroller. So, we headed back to the car and suited up with the baby gear! We have been wanting to break these things out for months. Felton had a blast, Tristen wished she was home watching football on the couch. She's just like her dad!

It was fun just to walk around and each have a baby to call our own. I told Ceasar that people may not even know we have twins...i'm not sure why I thought that! LOL it's always a fun adventure getting out with them.

In addition to the change in weather, we also have some other changes going on. As Tristen and Felton are approaching 5 months, we are doing what most parents do. Evaluating and changing things up (attempting to feed every 4 hours, introducing rice cereal, etc. etc.). One big change that we have been avoiding was "losing the swaddle"... well folks, we decided to FREE THEM from their straight jackets! We have read in the books and been told by friends that babies love being swaddled and you should keep swaddling them until they are strong enough to get out. Well, since they have been sleeping so great, we kept on swaddling away. They really haven't complained until this weekend... they were busting out. I think it's safe to say they are strong enough to get out. So, despite our fears, we set them FREE. I think they like their new sleeping arrangements. Especially Tristen! She is finally a free woman! She's silentely saying "thank you".

One more story, then I gotta go to bed. It is so fun having twins! I could tell some kind of story every day but who has time for that? This one is too cute to keep all to myself though. So, this morning Ceasar had to leave early and I was feeding by myself. I had to get ready for work so I left them in our bed to play and hang out with each other. I could tell Felton was getting tired because he was getting fussy. I was washing my face so I couldn't get his pacifier to put in his mouth. When I finished washing my face, I heard silence. I thought, that is strange b/c he doesn't usually stop fussing, when he's tired, unless he gets his pacifier. I wiped my face, looked up, and Tristen had put her thumb in Felton's mouth. I should mention that he loves to suck his thumb but we don't encourage it so we always try to give him the pacifier. Well, since I wasn't there to give it to him, Tristen stepped in and offered her thumb. It was quite a sight to see. I tried to capture it on camera but it was too late. This was all I could capture...
Their interaction with each other AMAZES me every single day.

Happy Babies!

2008-10-15T12:02:00.003-04:00

I think this picture says it all. These are some happy babies...and we are some happy parents!