October Fun!

October was a very fun month! We stayed pretty busy the whole time, and now that it's over...November is gonna be even busier! I just love fall and all of the hustle and the bustle that comes along with it!

A few weeks ago, we went to Southlake's Fall Festival. Landon had so much fun jumping in all of the bounce houses, getting his face painted, and eating junk.

The child LOVES Spiderman!

Weeeeeeeee!!!!!

After the festival, we went to my in-laws lot in Southlake where their brand new house is about to break ground. It's going to be AMAZING! Here Landon is sitting on a tree stump. I think this pic of him is too cute!

Heather and Scott had a Halloween party on Friday night. It was so much fun, complete with spooky decorations, tasty munchies, delicious Witch's Brew (trashcan punch), and fabulous costumes! I had a great time with all of my besties! You won't find Chris in any of these pics...he refuses to dress up :( Party Pooper!

Me with my Rock Stars, Johnna and Amy

Me with my Navy Girl Kara and Starbucks Chick Nicole!

BFF

Most of the girls minus some.

Me and the dead prom queen Kimmie

BFF

Cute Costumes!

Halloween was a pretty busy day for us this year. Chris let me sleep in (Thanks babe!!) because I was feeling that witches brew for a little while Sat. morning :) We started the festivities at Ben Teague's (Johnna's son) 2nd Birthday Party! It was in a big gym inside a church. All of the kiddos and some of the parent's dressed up in their Halloween costumes. I LOVE the costume idea that Johnna has thought of for Ben's party each year. It gives us all a chance to see all of the kids dressed up b/c we all do our own thing on Halloween night. Everyone was super cute! They had balls everywhere to play with and a huge bounce house. I think my hubby had just as much fun as the kids. He played basketball with the kiddos and some of the other husbands the whole time. Everyone had a blast and Ben got some great gifts! Thanks for inviting us BFF's! We love yall!

After the party we came home, napped, ate, and got Landon back in his costume. We then headed over to Nommie and Poppy's house (my grandma/grandpa) for some trick-or-treating. I like going over there b/c it's much calmer than my neighborhood. My neighborhood is totally packed full of kids (lots of teenagers unfortunately), and since my babies are so little, I just wanted it to be more low-key. It turned out perfect for my family. We let Landon go to about 10 or so houses and the girls followed along in the stroller. He loved saying "Trick-or-Treat" and loves that he has a big bucket full of candy even more.

I took about 432374278 pictures trying to get a good one of all 3. Here are a couple that made the cut and weren't deleted.

My precious little Spiderman. I learned this year that the days of being able to pick Landon's costume are over. I'm NOT a fan of Super Heroes, but Landon insisted on Spiderman this year. I had this precious little outfit that my mother-in-law got in China. I was gonna paint on a little mustache and he was gonna be a chinaman. Well...he had a different plan and wanted nothing to do with my precious (and authentic I must add) costume. Oh well! It's a kid's holiday and I let him win. I must say he makes an ADORABLE Spiderman! Don't you think so?

My girls had such serious expressions the whole night. Not much smiling going on. I think they were either in shock from all of the weird masks and stuff they were seeing that day or they were just totally dead bread from lack of naps!

Ha! Chris put his hat on Allie, and I thought it was too cute!

About to head out for the prize...CANDY!

6-months-old!!!!

Wow!! I CANNOT believe Emily and Allie turned 6-months-old yesterday!! That is just crazy to me. It honestly feels like it was just yesterday when I was sitting on my couch on bedrest waiting for these little luvies to get here. And now they are halfway to a year??? No way! I have really started to grasp and embrace this whole SAHM thing. It took a bit of getting used to, but I am loving it now! I have taken on what I call a "part-time part-time" job. I am mentoring new teachers for the AISD. It is only a few hours a week, so it's not even enough to be called part-time, but it's a nice little break for me and I get to still be in the classroom, which I LOVE.

Soooo...the sisters had their 6-month well check yesterday and everything is perfect, but I knew that :) They are very average sized baby girls, which is great because a lot of times, twins are small for their age. Here are their 6-month stats:

Emily:

weight: 15 lbs. 11 oz. (50th percentile)

height: 26 1/4 in. (50th percentile)

head: 17 1/2 in. (75th percentile)...big noggin :)

Allie:

weight: 14 lbs. 15 oz. (30th percentile)

height: 25 1/2 in. (40th percentile)

head: 17 in. (50th percentile)

Here are some pictures of us at the Dr. yesterday, which was an adventure. I had to RUNNNNN through the parking lot in the POURING rain carrying two carriers by myself. We were all soaked :)

You can't tell, but they are all wet here, after dashing through the pouring rain. Those carseat cover things didn't do nothin!

Happy to be naked and dry :) Allie on left...Emily on right.

Chubbers.

Waiting for Dr. Hull

That's one unhappy camper :(

Some catching up to do

Wow...it has been way too long since I've blogged! I think 3 weeks to be exact...and that is unacceptable! I'm gonna do my best to be better at this :)

We've been staying pretty busy around here. The girls are growing up so fast...they are already almost 6-months-old! And Landon is a big 3-year-old now :) I love watching my kiddos go through all of these fun stages, but I just wish it would slow down a little. I swear it seems like it was just the other day when I was taking down all of the Christmas decorations, and now it's already time to put them all out again! We aren't having anymore kiddos (Chris thinks otherwise, but I guess he's been smoking crack or something cause he's got another thing coming), so I'm trying to take in all of this sweet baby stuff while they are still little chubby joy bundles.

I'm really enjoying being a SAHM. It's definitely a very hard job, but we've got a little routine down now that's working great. I've taken on a part-time job as a mentor for new teachers with the AISD. The school district called me out of the blue one night wondering if I would be interested in mentoring. We had been thinking about getting a part-time babysitter anyways so I could get things done like grocery shopping, errands, etc. I'm sure you can imagine what it's like trying to do ANYTHING with two infants. IMPOSSIBLE! Sooo...we hired Amy (who is amazing) to come over twice a week while I meet with new teachers and run errands. It's a nice break, as well.

Landon still goes to preschool from 9-4 everyday. He LOVES school and learns sooooo much while he's there. I've tried keeping him home with me a few times just to see what it would be like with all three kids, but by the time 10 am rolls around and the girls are demanding so much of my attention...he is asking to go to school :) I've been asked by a few people, "Why does your son go to school if you stay home everyday?" My answer to them is, "Have you raised twin babies and a toddler? And do you know how important it is to me for my children to be exposed to education at an early age?" Landon thrives on attention and being entertained. There is no way I could give him the attention he receives at school when I'm constantly feeding, rocking, strolling, bathing, changing, etc. not one, but two infants. Plus...whether I had my girls or not, I think by age 3, all children should be in some type of school environment. Being a teacher, I know how beneficial it is to their future success in education. Anyhow...I am thrilled about how much he loves school and how much he learns everyday :)

Enjoy some pics of my perfect children.

These first 7 pictures are from a few weeks ago. Chris and I took Landon to Incredible Pizza for a day of games, rides, candy, food, all kinds of junk :) He had a blast! It's like a huge Chuck E. Cheese, but wayyyyy better and lacking Chuck E. who Landon is terrified of.

This was THE SLOWEST car track thing ever. Landon was less than thrilled about the turtle-paced red car.

Although he LOVED the miniature bowling!

The camera did something weird to his eyes in this one...it looks weird to me.

Landon and daddy played several arcade games.

And they played a round of miniature golf, too! It was lots of fun!

A few random pics of the girls. Emily is on the left in every picture, and she's the twin in the single pic, as well. Girls are becoming quite the chubbers.

My mom (Nana) and I took Landon to his very first movie today!!! It was quite the experience :) We chose to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs...mistake. I should've known it would be over his head considering it's in our 3rd grade reading book. I was less than impressed with the movie (or the small portion that I saw). I have read that story like 678 times since I taught it every year for 7 years, but the movie is NOTHING like the book...and when I say nothing, I mean ABSOLUTELY nothing. They should have called the movie something else. Anyway...Landon had me laughing the whole time. He kept shouting out, "It's dark!", "Where's the meatballs?" and "Where's my movie?" And I mean SHOUTING...over and over again. I was like, "This is your movie." He didn't get it...I guess he was expecting Dora, Diego, or Wonder Pets. Then he wanted to have a long discussion about the turkeys he saw at the ranch with Nana that day. He didn't get that there is NO TALKING in a movie theater. His body kept getting folded up into the chair, too. He would shout (in his very hick accent),"Momma...this chair is like the Rangers!" because they folded up like the ones at the stadium. Mom and I got a kick out of him the whole time :) He lasted about 45 minutes and then we went to the arcade for a minute. It was a fun first experience :) Check out his cheesy grin he keeps doing for the camera...

Wow...what a scary day it was...

Well, today is September 11...a day that has gone down in the History books as one of the most devasting days our country has ever had. I wanted to blog about what happened on this day, so I will never forget and so that my children can read about my experience. Although...I don't think it is possible to ever forget exactly what you were doing when the devastation occurred......

It was around 7 am in the morning and I was getting ready to go to class. At the time, I was 22-years-old, living with Chris in our first apt, and attending the UTA School of Education. I have always drank coffee and watched the news while getting ready in the morning, and that is exactly what I was doing. I remember a Breaking News story coming on saying that a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center buildings in NYC. I thought to myself, "Oh my gosh, that pilot must have fallen asleep or something. How do you miss a building that big?" I went to get Chris because I knew he would want to watch this story. I thought it was so sad because lots of innocent people where going to die from this mistake. So, we watched. And then, all of the sudden...another plane crashed into the OTHER World Trade Center building. Chris and I were in shock. At that point, the News reporters started speculating that this was the act of terrorists. They determined that both of these planes where bound for Los Angelos, but had more than likely been hijacked.

Then it hit me! Oh my gosh!! My mom was supposed to be leaving that morning for a trip...TO LOS ANGELOS!!!!!! She was and still is a flight attendant for American Airlines. I frantically started calling her. She wouldn't answer...wouldn't answer...wouldn't answer. A little while passed by, and by this time, they had determined that the 2 planes had been hijacked by terrorists and purposefully crashed. Finally, my mother called me back. THANK YOU GOD! She was like, "What's wrong? Do you know of something going on because we have been grounded on the runway and are not aloud to take off." The only thing the pilot had told them is that there was a "National Emergency" and that they would not be taking off. So...I broke the news to her and she told the other flight attendants. Of course, they were all devastated and very scared. As I was talking to her, I watched as the 3rd hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon. And then the worst part...the 2 World Trade Center buildings collapsed, killing just about everyone in sight of them. She really couldn't believe what she was hearing...as I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Sooo...they sat on the runway for hours waiting for approval to exit the plane, and when they finally got off, the employees where directed to go to the blood bank to give blood. My mother did just that...and returned home. I continued watching the coverage (which lasted for weeks), and needless to say...did not go to class.

I remember it being one of the saddest days I had ever experienced. It was also one of the most frightened I have ever been. Until I heard my mom's voice, I just knew she was in one of those hijacked planes. Luckily...they never even had a chance to take off because it all happened right before take-off. It was so weird...it was like the world stopped. Every single tv show stopped, and there was nothing but coverage for atleast a week or two. Air travel completely stopped for so long...I don't even remember how long...I think like a month or two. Everyone...and I mean everyone was just so sad. Thousands of people lost their lives due to these heartless terrorists. To this day, I still can't believe it happened.

Two months after this happened, my mom and I made a trip to NYC. As crazy as it sounds, the buildings were still smoking. And the smell...the smell was horrific. And as much as I hate to say it...it was the smell of death. It STILL smelled like burning bodies. There were devastated people everywhere frantically searching for their loved ones. I mean like hundreds and hundreds of crying people. Visiting during this time was definitely a life-changing experience. I am very thankful that my mom gave me the opportunity to experience history in the making.

Today is the 8th anniversary of this terrible day. As I was driving Landon to school this morning, I drove past a police station where all of the officers where outside having a moment of silence...heads bowed, hands on heart. It was very humbling to see. I just pray that the families of the loved ones who were killed have moved on from this and are in a better place than the way I witnessed them that day in New York.

I took some pictures of the weekend we spent in NYC. I'm gonna try to dig them up and post a few. So stay tuned...

The ups and downs of being a SAHM

Well...I think I've had my first official meltdown since deciding to be a SAHM.

My little luvies have been under the weather for over a week now...and it's beginning to take a toll on me. Emily's cold has been very mild, but Allie has been super congested with an awful cough. She coughs so hard that she ends up gagging and then throwing up. I ended up taking her to the Dr. after several days of no improvement. Like usual...she said it was just a cold that had to run it's course and advised me to use the aspirator, incline her mattress, and turn on the humidifier...all of which I had already been doing. They also aren't eating like they usually do. Emily usually scarfs her bottle down like she's never eaten before...and she just seems uninterested as of late. Same with Allie. Chris and I think this could either be because they aren't feeling up to par or maybe they are teething. Landon wasn't as interested in his bottle when he began teething. Either way, it is stressful to me when they won't eat well and they are feeling sick.

So when Allie puked up her ENTIRE bottle plus some while I was making dinner and Emily refused to drink anymore than 2 ounces of her bottle...all the while Landon is running around nude refusing to put on is jammies and shouting "I have a penis!!" at the top of his lungs...I had a bit of a mental breakdown..............

Don't get me wrong...I wouldn't trade this opportunity to stay home with my kiddos for the world, but let me tell ya...it is THE HARDEST job in the world. It's 10 million times harder than teaching 3rd grade. It is just so repetitive and neverending. And you get zero compensation. I remember thinking a few years ago when I had the "kid from hell" in my class, "I sure am glad they pay me well or I sure am glad this kid only has a few more months left of 3rd grade!" I bust my butt everyday to take care of two newborns...high maintenance newborns at that, keep the house looking somewhat clean or atleast tidy, clean the toilets that have Landon pee all over them, sweep, mop, and vacuum the floors, keep up with the neverending loads of laundry, make a balanced dinner for my family most nights, run what few errands are possible to run with two infant carriers in tow, and on top of that...try my damndest to get in a shower and a little make-up so my hubby doesn't walk through the door at night only to see me looking exactly the way he left me 8 hours ago. I have always promised myself that I will NEVER turn into one of those frumpy housewives. Once I am done with all of this and the kiddos are in bed, I have a few hours before it starts all over again. Sometimes it just feels like there is no end in sight. I think what I'm missing is the adult interaction I had when I taught. Or maybe it's the "Thank you!" or "You're doing such a great job!" that I miss about being a working mom. Being a SAHM is, in a way, Thankless. I just do what I do as a housewife and mother and that's it. There's no principal or team member here to give me kuddos or give me money.

I guess I have to give myself a little credit being that I'm raising twins. I mean...I have it double-hard, right? Most all of the SAHM's in my StrollerStrides class tell me they feel this exact same way, but I have it doubletime! And girls at that! These divas are harder than Landon would have ever thought to of been.

When I think to myself, "Did I make the right choice quitting my job? Was I meant to be a SAHM?", the answer is ALWAYS yes. Even when I'm having a tough day, there is still nothing I would rather be doing than staying home with my girls. These girls ADORE me! They light up when I walk in the room and scream at the top of their lungs when I leave :) Those little luvbugs make it all worth it. Even though on some days, I want to pull my hair out...I know that this is what God wants me to do. I was given this opportunity for a reason, and I'm going to embrace it for everything that it's worth.

I think my little meltdown tonight just stems from the super hard week we've had due to the girls being sick. We've been off sleep schedules, feeding times, and they have been very fussy and iratable. Hopefully, they will start feeling better soon so we can get back into our routine. Routine is my life these days, and without it, there's chaos. Chris is such a sweet husband, though. He was trying so hard to make me feel better, and all I kept saying is, "You'll never understand!" (in a super whiny voice). Poor guy :(

Thanks for listening to me vent. Taking time to write it all down has made me feel better. Now I better go check on my sweet baby girls and make sure no one's throwing up or anything of the nature. Then it's off to bed for a good night's sleep. Awwww...nothing like my comfy cozy bed :)

Long overdue.....

Landon's 3rd Birthday party was a huge success!!! It was at Pump it Up in Arlington, and all of his little buddies were there to help celebrate! Instead of uploading a million pictures, I just attached a link that you can click and see all of them. Thank you so much Stevi!!! She was my personal photographer for the day, and she captured some great shots! Enjoy!

****Once you click on the link below, just click on each picture to enlarge each one.*****

http://www.ritzpix.com/net/Albums/ListImages.aspx?s=3D67C425029436290E3DC1C8E31ED511A51327F06B51CD1A9ADA9E774218A0C6&e=BD1EC28881EF38F14E949F627DF746FE46216CC5F40F25FB013CB55AD528F55C41B6A9104F062CBDE306EDD60D474F45E599BD2570607763E12759CA879363DE

My baby boy is 3-years-old!!!!!!!!

Three years ago today, August 20, 2006, I became a mother to the most precious, loveable, smart, energetic, funny, all-boy, athletic, fun, sweet, perfect little boy ever. I can't believe this day has actually come. My baby is already 3? No way. It seems like just yesterday when we were pulling into our driveway bringing our joy bundle home for the very first time. But, yes...it's true. Three whole years have already passed. My mom wasn't lying when she said time goes faster the older you get.

A lot has changed in these three years. Landon now has two baby sisters who he absolutely adores. I was worried that he would be jealous or rivert back to acting like a baby to gain attention, but I was wrong. The transition has been as easy as pie. He loves his babies to death!!

Landon's looks have changed significantly. He has always been very chubby since the day he was born...always in the 100th percentile for weight. As a 3-year-old, Landon has become rather skinny. I'm anxious to see what percentile he will be in at his 3 year well-check.

Landon has been doing great in preschool. He recently moved up to the 3-year-old class where he is learning TONS of stuff. The summer activities end tomorrow and "school" starts on Monday. I have to have him there by 9:00 every morning which works out perfect for my Stroller Strides (workout class) schedule. His school goes along with the AISD calendar, so it'll be time to get to work next week. They will start out learning how to write their letters and numbers and how to write their name. Being a teacher, this is my nitch, so I'm very excited for him to get started on all this school stuff :)

Landon loves all things sports. He loves loves loves baseball. Chris played baseball in high school, so maybe that's where he gets it. He's pretty good, too! Landon can whack the ball clear across the yard. He really doesn't care about toys that much. He'll stack blocks (or chunk them across the room rather) for a while, but he would really rather be outside playing baseball, riding his bike, swimming, throwing his frisbee, swinging his golf clubs, playing basketball, or running around at the park. I guess all of this outdoor play explains the loss of his chubbiness :) Or maybe it's the picky eating (I'll get to that in a minute). He also loves artsy stuff too...play dough, finger paints, coloring books, water color, etc.

Landon loves cooking with me, although getting him to actually eat the food is another story. He is pretty picky these days. The only veggies he will eat are green beans, carrots, black-eyed peas, and asparagus, but in very small amounts...like just a few bites and he's done. He likes most types of beans. He loves cheese. He HATES all types of potatoes. He'll eat little tangerines, bananas (sometimes), watermelon, and strawberries (again, sometimes). He loves penne pasta...he would eat it everyday if he could. He loves Italian sausage. He loves Chicky Lay (chick-fil-a) nuggets. He hates most other meats, but he'll take a few bites of my meatloaf. He doesn't care for sweets, and he definitely didn't get that from me. He loves Sunkist fruit snacks and Quaker granola bars. I'd have to say his favorite food would have to be cheese pizza or a dish I make with penne pasta and Italian sausage.

I couldn't ask for a better son. He is so loving, so well-behaved (usually :)), so cute, and so smart. I love you so much Landon! Happy 3rd Birthday!!!!!

1st Birthday!!!

2nd Birthday!!

3rd Birthday!! (cupcake face)