Early Mornings...

For about 3 months of or so, my sweet little boys have been so excited about life that they begin their days @ 4 am. No cuddling, no going back to sleep-- we hit the ground running! Today Asher slept in till 5:15 am, which was a treat, and I was able to sneak him out before he woke up Avery. Claire woke @ 5:30 and then Ave @ 5:45. Trying to be productive @ this hour-- I do have a batch of cookies in the oven followed by some crescent rolls for breakfast (rolls, not cookies!). But it is dark outside... and quiet...

Future NRA member?

I hope she doesn't need a permit! Trying to get creative with our outdoor play as the pools have closed and the oppressive heat continues.

Let's see... some of the "cool" things we've done:

- shaving cream letters and numbers

- ice boats

- Kangaroo Climber on all water surfaces

- Squirting in the Swing

- Aqua sand

- ice cubes in the pool

- sprinklers and slip and slides

- dish soap in water table

- "shooting", catching, and netting bubbles

Anyone have any other ideas???

Update on the Twins in Twin Beds

Asher and his "mine"
Avery doing a little light reading...


It's been almost 2 weeks since the twins took to twin beds. They have done really well going to sleep in them-- it's just staying in them after they wake up that's the hard part. : ) (Yes, Claire, at almost 4 yrs of age, still calls for us to come get her up...) This morning I found the twins covered in books from their little bookshelf... the other day, they were both lying behind the door of their bedroom... who knows where they will be tomorrow?

Cicada Morning!

So glad I looked before putting on my shoe...

Then Claire took her tool box into the backyard and wanted to "fix" something. I suggested our beloved Kangaroo Climber-- she came shrieking back to me that a bug was on it...

Claire's 1st Gymnastics Class!

Claire was so excited to start gymnastics today! Last night, she laid out her "biketard" and wanted me to get a bib ready so she wouldn't mess up her outfit during breakfast. : )

She had a really great time in class! The class, made up of boys and girls, warmed up, rotated through some activities, bounced on the trampoline, and then played in the soft block pit. She was so happy when she finished and wanted to know how many more naps to her next class.

What is this? Rain!!!

How long has it been since we've had rain?? How much in a drought are we??

We took advantage of the wet stuff falling from the sky and broke out the new rain-jackets. The boys loved them! It was a nice morning for a walk.

The Twins are in Twin Beds

For the first time in 4 years, there is no crib in the nursery. Instead, there stands 2 twin beds. *sigh* Those easly years have really passed fast. I think back to when Claire was itty bitty, sleeping in the crib. I would nurse and rock her there in the middle of the night. Eventually she moved into her new room and we added a second crib to the nursery-- how funny that seemed. 2 cribs. 2 babies.

No wthere are 2 big boys in 2 big beds. The twins look so tiny-- to think that one day they will stretch head to toe, top to bottom in those beds.

The transition went pretty well. Luckily, I have Mima out here for a visit, so she can help with the bedtime routine with Claire, and then help me round up the stray twin or two...

Ave was not pleased with the switch initially. After about 25 minutes of helping me burn calories, he and Asher decided it was not so bad and enjoyed the freedom of their cages. They would run to the door, open it, look, and slam it on me. Then I wised up and put a doorknob cover on the inside-- they couldn't open the door. But that just meant the party just continued on the inside of the room. I would open the door and chase them back to their beds, kinda like cockroaches when you turn on the light.

About an hour after their bedtime, the twins were both asleep in their new big-boy beds. Whew!

A big shout-out to Uncle Casey and Chika for the HUGE help they gave me in getting those beds up and ready and the old cribs dismantled. So much more than I ever imagined!!!

You know it's hot when...

... you go straight from the breakfast table to the slip and slide (no suits!), and the clock reads 7:36 am!


Yesterday was a blistering 110 degrees-- today it should reach 111.

I try to keep cool by looking @ the pictures of the ice storm from February...