Sunday, April 29, 2012

The One with Our Favorite Books

We are trying our hardest to read to the girls as much as we can. Here are our favorites for the girls at this age:


I have only introduced board books to the girls so far because they gnaw on everything. Also, they love try to turn the pages themselves and I'd prefer no ripped pages!  In this phase of life, we are reading books that have a fun rhythmic cadence that the girls can recognize when they hear it. When I read them narrative story books (like the Very Hungry Caterpillar) they like the pictures, but soon become disinterested.  I still read them those kinds of books for variety, but they like a sort of sing-song pattern to stay involved.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear: (Bill Martin, Jr and Eric Carle) The girls love this one. I would always recite it to them while changing diapers, etc so that they would be distracted. Charlotte first smiled when I read this to her. When kids are older, they can memorize this one. Its predictability makes them feel like they are "reading", which is adorable.

Barnyard Dance: (Sandra Boynton) All of Boynton's books are awesome! The girls love the rhythm and cadence of this one. It is fun and upbeat and just adorable.

Hand, Hand Fingers Thumb: (Al Perkins) Ok, I am not a fan of monkeys. They might eat your face at any minute. But this book (all about monkeys) has an adorable upbeat pattern to it. I'd recommend it!

In My Nest:  This book has an adorable finger puppet bird in the back. It pops through all the pages and the girls LOVE to grab its little wiggly body. There are many books in this series they are all ADORABLE. We have "On My Leaf" (with a ladybug finger puppet) and "In My Pond" (with a fish finger puppet).  Sadly, the books is a little short, (like, 4 pages) but worth the fun with finger puppet.

The Foot Book, Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? and Blue Hat Green Hat:   More awesome books by Dr. Seuss and Sandra Boynton. The girls love them all.


The Jesus Storybook Bible: I can't say enough about this Bible. My hubby would always read it to my belly when I was pregnant. He still reads it to them every night before bed. Precious. Every story relates back to Christ. The illustrations are whimsical and beautiful, and the people are actually Middle Eastern looking! :) It breaks down the stories in an easy-to-understand way. The girls can't understand it now, but we want to instill reading the Bible into their everyday life. Even I enjoy and learn from the stories!


What are your family favorites?

Thursday, April 26, 2012

The One with Toys We Like

I thought I'd do a post on all of our favorite toys! It was hard to choose, but I narrowed it down.

When I look at toys, I try to follow these guidelines:
1. Will it drive me crazy?
(no elaboration needed)
2. Is it gender neutral?
I want future kids to be able to use it as well. Plus, I'm not very girly.
3. Does it require batteries?
If so, does the cool factor negate the battery factor? When it is running low on batteries, will it sound like a cat dying?
4. Is there educational value to the toy?
Anything from fine/gross motor to phonemic/alphabet skills or imaginary play all has value to me.
5. Does it serve more than one purpose?
Could this cup be used in the bathtub/sandbox/pretend kitchen later? Or is this singing frog a "one trick pony" ?
6. Will they use it for throughout their young childhood?
Other than teething toys, I'd like for them to be able to use their toys in other forms throughout being a toddler, etc.
7. Can they choke?
Sometimes things look big and deceptively non-chokey, but when gnawed on can break off into smaller chokey pieces.



from left to right
1. Bead Roller Coaster (Ikea, $9)
The girls love this! It's a mini version of the ones at the doctors office! They both can play with it at the same time. They can use it laying down or sitting up. I know they will like it when they are older as well.

2. Stacking Cups (Lakeshore)
I used to work at Lakeshore, so I'm kind of obsessed with their stuff. These stacking cups are awesome, and the girls LOVE them. They can't stack them now, but they love to gnaw on them, knock them over, and clank them together. They soon will learn fine motor and critical thinking skills as they are able to stack them appropriately. Plus, some of the cups have geometric shapes on the end that later can be used as play-dough stamps, etc. They are also dishwasher safe.

3. Soft and Safe Building Blocks (Lakeshore)
Again, obsessed. These blocks are colorful, have shapes on them, and are awesome! They are soft and squishy and totally munchable. They can't get hurt as they wildly hit themselves in the face with these. They are quiet and coated with vinyl so you can easily wipe them off with a Clorox wipe or something. I can see the girls loving these until kindergarten!

4. Washable Sensory Balls (Lakeshore)
Oops. More Lakeshore stuff. When I worked there, I could sell everything!
Ok, these are great because they are machine washable, come in 6 different sizes, and have all sorts of different textures. Some are jingly, some are crunchy, some are smooth, some are corduroy. The girls love to nudge and roll these around the living room. Balls and rolling toys help promote crawling and forward movement. They are also fun to gnaw on. I'm glad they are able to enjoy them now, but I know they will think of all sorts of fun ways to play with them later. They are also soft and quiet, so I know they won't be breaking anything with these later on!

5. Skwish Toy (Manhattan Toy)
I can't say enough about this one. Our favorite teething toy. It's wooden with beads, but has stretchy cables between all the joints. The girls liked this toy early on. Because of the many stretchy cables and its "atom-like" structure, the girls were very easily able to grasp and manipulate it. When they were on their tummies, they could gnaw on the different corners. I wasn't afraid of it choking them because with any pressure on it, the toy collapses flat. The beads quietly rattle as you shake it around. They still love it today.

6. Learn and Groove Musical Table (Leapfrog)
I have loved this toy for years. Everyone I nannied for had it. They had it at Pine Cove, and in the church nurseries I volunteered in. It's just the best. Worth the batteries. In the picture it is flat (on the far right), but there are detachable legs to make it a table later. The girls LOVE it. If we were trapped on a desert island for the next 2 years and only had 1 toy, it'd be this one. It has 2 modes: learning and musical. It teaches you everything from instrument sounds (I'm a band nerd) to the alphabet and opposites. It also has a Spanish setting (ole!). Both girls can easily play with this at the same time. I love that when it sings the alphabet it clearly separates "L M N O P" rather than ellemeno P. I don't know how many of my first graders thought "ellemeno" was a letter. I could go on and on. Just get this one.


This is what my living room looked like after the girls destroyed it. Yay! :) They had a fun afternoon.
What toys are your favorites?


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The One in Survival Mode

A lot of times I feel like I'm just treading water.  I'm learning that this is ok. I'm taking good care of my babies and they are abundantly loved.

Yet sometimes I think, "Wow, I'm glad nobody is video taping me right now." Here are some tips I learned after my week of desperation.

(Partial TMI warning for those that visualize things. Or if you're a dude that I don't know well.)


TIP #1: ALWAYS HAVE FOOD
I was in Target and the girls started crying. I realized they were hungry, but I didn't have bottles with me. I was about 30 minutes away from being home, so I headed straight for the baby food aisle.  I grabbed one of those baby food squeezable pouches (I've never used one before) and opened it up right there and started feeding them. I felt like a creepy applesauce shoplifter.  I never thought I would do this out of necessity, but I did. Two screaming babies will do that to you I guess.  I fed them about half of the pouch to pacify them, continued shopping, and later paid for the food when I checked out.

TIP #2: GO BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE
My stroller is giant. From the handlebar to the end it is 58 inches.  That's almost 5 feet long, people!
I like that the girls can see me and that the car seats snap inside, but it's pretty mammoth to push. (And draws LOTS of attention.)

                                                                      (my adorable view)

So I'm in Target and I had to GO. I mean GO. Ahem. Think Bridesmaids.
In panic mode, I rushed to the bathroom with my mega stroller. I can't leave them outside of the stall. So I had to maneuver my stroller into the handicapped stall (which is harder than parallel parking). I barely fit inside. Phew. Then the girls started screaming. If one baby screaming stresses you out, try two. They want the rest of the applesauce. Every ounce of my being said, "No, Liz. Food in a bathroom is gross. Don't. They can wait a few minutes."
 No, they couldn't. So yes, I was sitting in the handicapped stall of Target with a 6 foot stroller in front of me, squeezing applesauce back and forth out of a pouch to feed my babies. If thats not rock bottom, I don't know what is.

TIP #3 DON'T PULL YOUR BACK OUT. (BUT IF YOU DO, DON'T BE NAKED.)
I pulled my back this week. I'm not sure how. I had just taken a shower, and then suddenly I couldn't stand up straight or raise my right arm. This might not be a huge deal except I had 2 crying babies in their cribs that had just woken up. I could have called for help, but I couldn't stand up or raise my arm to get dressed. I stumbled around my house in a towel, hunched over, as I tried to think of a way to get the babies out of their cribs.  I'm sure that I looked like a Quasimodo baby-napper as I awkwardly pulled them out of their cribs. They just laughed at me, since this was obviously a funny new game. Thankfully, my hubby came home from work early to help.


Sometimes you just have to make things work, even in rough situations. What things have you done out of survival mode?





Friday, April 20, 2012

The One with Emmy's Head

I wanted to write out the story of my sweet baby's head. About all the the things she has gone through and  will go through.
The truth of the matter is we are truly blessed to have 2 amazing, sweet, healthy children. We were thrilled that both babies were over 5lbs and didn't have to be admitted into the NICU or anything!  My poor Emily has had her fair share of turbulence along the way though. Here goes...

From the beginning, (I mean, a week old) we noticed that Emily always looked to her right. I thought this was no big deal, but she was very consistent about it. I would lay her down with her head facing left, and within a minute she would turn it back.
                                              (Emily, left)



We brought this up at her 1 month appointment, and then her 2 month appointment at the pediatrician. She said it was normal and that some babies just "favor" a certain side. When she was about 3 months old, I noticed slight asymmetry in her face (one eye appeared bigger, one cheek seemed fuller, her ears were uneven). I called the doctor and she recommended physical therapy right away.
                                                                                    (Emily, right)
Within 5 minutes of being at physical therapy, the therapist said she needed a cranial band. Her head had a flat spot on her back right side, causing her to turn that way constantly. The bones were shifting in her face, causing one eye and ear to move backward. She was diagnosed with moderate plagiocephaly (flat spot) and severe torticollis (tight muscles in neck that cause head turning and tilt)
(diagram of plagiocephaly by Huang MHS)
So we were off to Cranial Technologies to get measured for a helmet. This place is about an hour trek from our house in Fort Worth to Dallas. They put a stocking on her head to smooth out any flyaway hairs in order to take a super cool 3-D image of her head. Emily was not a fan.



That's ok though. The process at Cranial Technologies is MUCH better than other cranial band places. At other companies they literally make a physical plaster mold over your baby's head, which I'm sure is a terrifying and awful experience for a baby. I love that they were able to digitally make a mold of her head! After 1 week, her helmet was ready!
I painted it pink and added some cute bird and owl stickers so that it would seem less scary and medical looking to others. I think she looked adorable in it! At first, she was very sweaty and got rashes, but she got used to it. She wore it 23 hours a day.  Each week, I took the girls out to Dallas to get her helmet adjusted. We could see results right away. She was able to move her head more freely once it became rounded in the back. After 6 weeks, she was finished with the process! Hooray!
                                                                (Emily's first certificate!)

It was a difficult choice for our family to get her cranial band with this company. The reason we chose Cranial Technologies is that they use the digital imaging (rather than a plaster mold) and their cranial bands weighed only 5oz compared to 15oz at other places. Poor little Emily could barely hold up her head as it was, let alone with an extra pound on it! At other companies, the band is covered under our insurance. This place was not covered, so we would have to pay $3,000 out of pocket. We decided to fork over the money for the better helmet, even if it meant driving 2 hours each week. Her little noggin is worth it! :)

Emmy still goes to physical therapy weekly in order to gain full range of motion in her neck. She still has a head tilt:

In order for her to be able to crawl/walk correctly, she needs to have a balanced perspective, not tilted. So now we are on our latest apparatus, the "tot collar". I didn't name it. I actually hate the name. Its basically a brace made of tubing that holds her head correctly.  I'm terrified of it because all over the information booklet there are warnings that she could get the collar stuck on something and hang herself.  It's awful.  But I know it helps. Luckily she doesn't have to wear it 23 hours a day. She can't sleep, eat, ride in the car, or bathe in it, so that limits our time substantially. Less time to be paranoid.
                                                                    (my schnazzy neck brace)

I'm not sure how long this process will be with my sweet baby, but I know she will do therapy until she is about 12-18 months old. I'm glad she has such a sweet demeanor. All of this is minor in the grand scheme of things, and I'm thankful that they are both adorable, healthy girls.

The One with Green Chile Smothered Chicken

I wanted to share my favorite "go-to" recipe that I learned when I just got married. My hubby's favorite food is Mexican, and since I was trying so hard to be a good little Garcia, I tried this one! It is adapted from a Cooking Light book, so it's relatively healthy, too! Plus I love green chiles.

I'm a visual person, so here goes...
You need only these 5 ingredients! No chopping, either! 35 min total, 3 minute prep. Mozzarella cheese, lime juice, chicken breasts, WHOLE green chiles, and taco seasoning.




-Preheat oven to 400.
-Sprinkle some taco seasoning on the bottom of your pan (8x8). I don't really measure anymore, maybe a tablespoon or two?
-Arrange your chicken in your pan. (I used 3 chicken breasts, but I'm sure you could use 4, or even thighs or something).
-Squirt lime juice all over the chicken and pan, then sprinkle more taco seasoning on top of the chicken(1tbs ish). The recipe calls for 1 tbs of lime juice, but I probably use like, 3. To me: the more, the better. It makes juicy broth with the seasoning underneath.
-It's chile time!


-Open up your chiles flat (I do it by hand) so that it makes a triangle shape and lay it on the chicken. (FYI, these little cans have 3 chiles in them. If you use more than 3 chicken pieces you'll need another can. Or you can get creative with your chile arrangement. Usually a chile is huge and it can be used for 2 chicken pieces. Don't stress.)
-Cover dish with foil.
-Cook for 30 minutes.
-Take out and sprinkle cheese on top. I'm a fan of melted cheese, so I use about half a bag. (1 cup). You can use more or less if you'd like.



-Put it back in the oven (uncovered).
-Cook again for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
-Ta-da! Done. Make sure you drizzle the yummy broth all over the chicken when serving.
I used the Uncle Ben's Spanish-Style rice (90 seconds) and some black beans for sides.



It's really simple and yummy. My friend Leslie said, "It tastes like a Mexican mama made this!!!" which is an awesome compliment to me. They make the best food.  Hope you guys try it sometime! Let me know how it goes!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

The One where I'm a Mom - Snob

I'm pretty opinionated when it comes to raising kids.  I was basically an early childhood development major in college, I nannied all throughout college, and I worked at a family summer camp every summer in college. I saw tons of different amazing families in action, and others that were pretty dysfunctional. Through all of these experiences, I made up my mind on a few points. We could call them ideals, standards, goals, whatever, but I am now finding them pretty unrealistic.

All I have to say is, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Here are some of my standards that have already been smashed, and my girls are only 7 months old.

1. My babies will never use toys with batteries/lights, etc.
I love classic wooden toys, puzzles, stacking cups, rattles, basic blocks, and toys that need imagination. Then Emily had to go to physical therapy because of her torticollis.  She literally couldn't turn her head to the left. We tried everything with no success. But as soon as her therapist busted out the obnoxious light up Winnie the Pooh singing toy, Emily attempted to turn her head to look at it. A miracle! Her therapist recommended we buy something similar so that I could continue working with her at home. My heart sank.  Crap. I swore I would never do it. But when it came to my baby's development, I knew I needed to get one. 98% of the girls' toys are still without batteries, but I know that they aren't going to die if they see a flashy toy.

2. My babies will never watch TV.
According the the American Association of Pediatrics, they say children under the age of 2 should watch NO television. None.  I really do understand why, though. It's not just the content, but also the speed in which the shows move. The way there are tons of camera angles flashing back and forth, cutting to and from different perspectives.  They say that watching lots of TV under the age of 2 increases the factor of ADHD greatly. Another study showed that pre-k children that watch fast-paced cartoons (Sponge Bob, etc) versus slow-paced shows had a much higher rate of ADHD. We still try to avoid TV at all cost.
But can I say that since day one these babies have been attracted to the TV like moths? We would always face them away so they wouldn't look. It's pretty hard to do! I will no longer judge mamas that let their kids watch TV. Our family has finally compromised that the babies can watch a Baby Einstein DVD once a day if they are super fussy. Sometimes its the only way that my hubby and I can eat dinner together without screaming in the background! I like that Baby Einstein has lots of fun colorful pictures and toys, but is slow-paced for babies' eyes. I recommend the Baby Mozart one for the early months! :)
                   *side note: The other day I pressed play and ran off to the bathroom. My girls got to watch  the first 5 minutes of Thor. Oops. Make sure you have the right DVD in!

3. My babies will never drink formula.
My body was not physically able to produce enough milk for 2 babies. Long story. At one point I was taking 16 pills a day to increase my supply, trying all the homeopathic stuff, pumping every hour, and I still made only 1 bottle a day. We needed 14-16 bottles a day. It broke my heart to give them formula, but they needed to eat! Sometimes we just fall short.

4. I will never get a mini-van.
Ok, so we can't afford one, but oh-em-gee I suddenly want a minivan. I don't care how I look. I don't care if it has wood paneling. Just please, get me a car where the doors open for me! Fitting 2 babies, a mega twin stroller, and groceries in my sedan is like the worst game of Tetris ever.  I give up.

I could go on and on. The moral of the story is: never say never. Of course, it's good to have high goals for your child and their development, but sometimes a few things are ok in moderation.
Where have you had to compromise your unrealistic standards?

Saturday, April 14, 2012

The one with stuff I like

It's "Stuff I Like" Saturday! It's where I tell you all about my favorite things.
But not in an Oprah way.
Let's just say that when I really like something, I want to tell the world about it. I get giddy about silly things. For example, my favorite pen of all time, the Bic Atlantis (go buy one now, you'll never go back).  If I like my food when we're out to dinner, I will REALLY want you to try it. Possibly to the point where it might annoy you.  I don't mean to be pushy; I sincerely want you to be as happy and giddy as I am at that very moment. So here goes...

Thing #1.  Duncan Hines "Simple Mornings" Blueberry Streusel Muffins


My hubby and I are trying to start family traditions now that we have the girls. We want to have "happy weekend mornings" in which we wake up, listen to upbeat music, and have a fun breakfast. (i.e, not cereal.) It gives us something to look forward to. We really want the girls to be excited to wake up on the weekends so we can be productive and spend quality time together. We want Sunday mornings to be positive for them, rather than, "Hurry up! We are late, throw some clothes on and sing to Jesus or you're grounded." Naturally, muffins, cinnamon rolls, or pancakes are the way to go. Some might call it bribing with food. Others might call it "providing positive correlations" via pastries.

Anyways, these muffins are really great for boxed ones. They are quick and delicious.  The best part is that it comes with this fun crumbly streusel topping that you sprinkle on top. Also, all the ingredients are natural, so there isn't any corn syrup bleh in it.

Thing #2. Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Products 

                                                        (my real life sink and laundry room shelf!)

I could go on and on. I use their hand soap, dish soap, laundry detergent, fabric softener, and countertop spray. Ironically, I heard about these products on a blog I read. Dang, that girl was more obsessed than I could ever be. With good reason.

The best things about these are:
a) They smell AWESOME. They don't have any crazy harsh, fume-y chemicals in them, and everything is plant-based and aromatherapeutic. I first started using them when I got pregnant and I was super sensitive to smells.  I love the basil, lemon verbena, and lavender scents. If people are coming over, I just spray down my countertops, wipe them down, and the house smells fresh and nice. When I had the babies and people came to help me, everyone always commented on my detergent smell!

b) The containers adorable. I know this might sound shallow. But I firmly believe that if you need something sitting out 24/7 in your house, it might as well be aesthetically pleasing. Nobody likes looking at a giant, 2-foot aqua bottle of Dawn at their sink. The packaging and graphic design have a retro look to them that is cute and simple, so I don't mind having them sit out all day long.

The cons are that they don't sell this stuff everywhere, although my Target carries a lot of their stuff now. I recently found the hand soap at my Wal-Mart! If you want a more extensive line of their products (toilet bowl cleaner, etc) you will have to go to Central Market or perhaps Whole Foods. Mrs. Meyer's stuff is more expensive as well, but it's not ridiculous.  I guess if you were feeling really "thrifty" you could buy the soap bottles for your counter and refill them with cheaper soap. That does defeat the whole good-smelling point though. I think the hand soap is around $3 and the detergent is $16 or something.  http://www.mrsmeyers.com/Products/Laundry

That's all for now. In the meantime, enjoy this of my children enthralled with my hubby's storytime.






Friday, April 13, 2012

The one with grocery store paparazzi

A lot of people talk to me about the babies in public. A lot. I can't go even one aisle without someone making a comment. I don't really mind the comments, but it is difficult to have full-blown conversations with strangers in every aisle of Target. Just think, if 20 people stop to talk to me about the babies (which isn't abnormal) for 2 minutes each, that makes my Target trip 40 minutes longer.


Disclaimer: I know these people are just being nice. I know they are sweet and complimenting my babies and are curious about twin life. Please don't think I'm being negative.  But sometimes it's really nice to just pop in and out of a store and not have people stop you so they can tweet pics of your babies. 

I'm in a September twin mom group on Facebook, and we all were discussing funny things strangers say to us in stores. Here is a collection of things we hear all the time, along with a few random stories.

1. "You've got your hands full!"
-I seriously hear this at least 10 times a day. It has become super cliche after 7 months, although it is the truth! But I think strangers should give any mom credit! We all have our hands full, even with one kid!

2. "Can they read each other's mind?"
-Yes, my baby can read minds. And see dead people.

3. "Did you do infertility treatments?"
-FYI, this is not something everyone is comfortable talking about. I wouldn't bring it up to a stranger. (I personally didn't though.)

4. "Wow, one pregnancy and you're done!"
-Some people want more than 2 kids. It's kind of weird to assume how many kids a stranger wants.

5. "Are they identical?"
-I get this one a lot, but a lot of my friends say that people even say this to their boy/girl twins.  Boys and girls aren't identical; I won't get into the anatomy of it.

6. "What are their names?"  (when they find out the names don't match/rhyme they look disappointed and say, "Oh.")
-In the hospital I had a sweet cleaning lady come in my room. She looked at the names on their cribs and put her hand on her hip. She sternly said, "WHY 'DEM BABY NAMES DON'T RHYME?!?"  It was awesome.

7. "I'm glad it's you and not me!"
-Thanks?

Other memorable stories/quotes:
-"Wow. I had 4 kids but I was smart enough to have them one at a time!"

-Lady in motorized shopping cart with low batteries: "Wow! Are they twins?"  (I confirm yes, smile and keep walking.) "Not so fast now missy, come back! I'm not done looking at them!"

-Old man with overalls, no shirt, and no teeth hollered and stumbled after me in the grocery store shouting, "2 FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!! YOU GOT A TWO-FER!! A TWO-FER I TELL YA!!!!!" *

*This story is not a joke.

-When I told my grandma (the one afraid of the internet, not you, Nana) that I was having twins, she just kept saying, "Oh dear, I am just so sorry. I just feel so sorry for you. You poor thing."


There are other stories, but those are on the top of my head. And by the way, if you have ever said those cliche things to someone/me, don't worry. It's not necessarily a bad thing, just something we hear a lot.

------
My favorite story is of a sweet, sweet old lady at Babies R Us. She was using a walker, on oxygen, and had huge hearing aids. Frail and thin and soft. She stopped and stared at my girls.
Then she immediately started weeping. "They are just the most beautiful things I've ever seen. You just made my day."
Of course I started crying, too.
I said, "They are such good babies, too. They are so sweet and easy for me."
She held my hand, looked into my eyes, and said, "That doesn't matter. Even if they were hard, they are just wonderful little things."

I guess that's all I need to remember. :)

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The one about community and cleaning

Ok here is my soapbox of life right now:

1. People are supposed to live in community. We are. It is in our nature, and Christ has called us to do so. I've been reading a good book called "A Meal With Jesus" and its all about how Jesus' main way of ministering to people was through sitting down and breaking bread with others. He ate with prostitutes and tax collectors, whatevs, He'd spend time with anyone. I really felt like when I was in Africa, I was able to grasp what Biblical times were like. It was so great to be able to walk around and live life so casually with people. Nobody stayed around shut in their houses. We all spent time with each other...and frequently...and informally.

2. Think back to your college days. The fondest memories I have of these days is just popping by my friends' dorm room, hanging out, watching tv, wearing pajama pants, going to the cafeteria together and eating. I never called and made appointments to hang out. We just did it. It was easy and natural. I think this is why everyone has such great memories of college. We were living life in community with each other.
I have the same recollections of living in a cul-de-sac growing up and just hanging out with my buddies on my street. We ran around outside and played, rode bikes, drew with chalk, etc. We just knocked on our neighbor's door and said, "Can Suzie come out and play?" It was great. Why can't life be like that now?

3. Appointments. Fancy things. Pinterest. Everyone thinks that the other person is soooo busy and perfect. I promise, the other person is NOT so busy and perfect.
It's funny how you have to schedule play dates or lunch with people weeks in advance, but if your mom wants to pop over for a minute you are free anytime. It's because you don't care if your mom sees you unshowered, or in your pajamas at noon, or with a messy house. You know that your mom is safe and non-judgemental, and therefore, you can have a real life with her. Frequent. Informal. Community how it should be.

4. Not that formal things aren't nice. I like to dress up and go to cute showers or themed events and parties. They are fun. But my life isn't that perfect 24/7. Its not adorable and cute all the time. Sometimes my kids crawl around in diapers all day. I have poop and spit up on my clothes. A lot of days none of us are out of our pajamas when my husband comes home from work. That's reality.
But when anyone that isn't super close comes over, I feel the need to be pulled together. Like everything is fine and dandy and cute and, "Why yes, I do have some fresh squeezed lemonade in an adorable pitcher." The truth is, nobody is that pulled together. It's just not possible. So why do we fake it?

5. I fake it because I continue to trick myself into thinking "Well...when I went to Suzie and Johnny's house it was perfect and clean and she had a fabulous meal and beautiful everything." In reality, the only reason Suzie's house is perfect is because HER friend's house is perfect when company is over. LET'S STOP THIS VICIOUS CYCLE. I offer you a challenge.

6. Don't hide your mess from me. Don't look perfect all the time. Don't. I know you have laundry. It's in there somewhere. Truthfully, I don't care if you have laundry out. Don't apologize for it. It's reality. So many times I've said to company, "Oh, sorry this isn't organized" or "Sorry there are dishes in the sink." Seriously? They have dishes too...who am I kidding?
As long as your house doesn't look like an episode of Hoarders, I'm cool with it. For real, I'm not secretly judging you. If your living room is a minefield of Legos, no big deal. I think its endearing. And from now on, I hope you feel the same way about me.

If we are able to be REAL with one another, we will be able to have community. It'd be like the good old days, when appointments didn't matter, when you could stop on by, when you could just spend casual time together without a theme or organized activity. We should all do each other the favor of showing our imperfections, and community would flourish.

End of soapbox. What do you think?

The One Where I Don't Read the Warnings.

So apparently I don't read warning/safety signs on packaging.

I think I do this because most product warnings are really obvious to me. (Your coffee is hot, don't put your hand in the moving blender, etc). Now that I've had kids, I actually have started paying close attention to the warnings (since I want them to live and stuff). Regardless, they are still pretty obvious, my favorite being the "don't close your baby in this box" sticker on all rubbermaid products:


Well, you see, I should have read the warnings for my baby walker. I knew not to let the babies go near stairs or ramps in a walker. I knew all the other weight and height restrictions with it. But I didn't think I would personally injure myself on a baby toy.

But I did. I have a bachelor's degree and crushed my thumb in a baby walker. I was trying to lower the height of the walker so little Char's feet could touch the ground.
WHILE SHE WAS STILL INSIDE THE WALKER. Why did I do this?

The walker immediately collapsed (don't worry, Charlotte was fine) onto my thumb and my hand was trapped inside a baby toy. Really Liz? I kept thinking, "This isn't happening" as one hand was jammed inside the toy and Charlotte's weight continued to pinch my thumb in the track. The only way to get my finger out was to get Charlotte out, but I only had 1 usable hand.

So I'm stuck in the living room, sitting on the ground with my hand stuck in a baby walker. These things are happening:

1. Emily is in her bed crying to get out from her nap.
2. I'm crying because my thumb might be amputated.
3. Charlotte is laughing at the amputation game we are playing.

Eventually, adrenaline kicked in and I was able to lift Charlotte out of the baby walker with one hand and awkwardly place her safely on the ground. Immediately my hand was released from the toy and my thumb was purple and concave.

I looked in the safety manual and there was a warning not to adjust the height while the child is in the seat. Oops. I didn't see that one. Magically my thumb isn't broken, so good times were had by all.

Moral of the story? Sometimes the lame warnings aren't so lame.
Babies are crying; I'm off to give them bottles!

The One With Inaugural Nap-time


After some nudging from others, I've decided to make a blog. A legit blog.
You see, I've got 7 month old twins, so I don't have time for shenanigans.

This blog will probably include:
-real-life stories of insanity
-some funny stuff
-some crafty stuff
-some Jesus stuff
-some nerdy stuff
-child development stuff
-cute baby photos

That's what my life revolves around right now. I will be blogging during nap-times, so hopefully I will be able to get everything out.

Let me introduce you to the cutest little muffins ever:


Emily is on the left, and she is has tons of personality. When she's happy, she is a ball of giggles. She is always smiling with her two tiny bottom teeth showing. When she is upset, she will let you know. She loves to blow spit bubbles and roll around the house. She is methodical, and loves to slowly and hesitantly explore toys. She is all smiles around us, but sometimes unsure of new people. Her highs are high and her lows are low. (Just like me!) She had torticollis and plagiocephaly when she was born, so she wore a cranial band, and still goes to physical therapy weekly. She is a trooper! I love her joyful and expressive spirit.

Charlotte is on the right. She is hysterical in her own way. She is very even-keeled (just like daddy!) and isn't very expressive of her emotions. She is into everything and can army crawl all over the place. She is a tough cookie! If she bumps into anything, there are no tears. She loves to rampage her toys like Godzilla and steal everything from Emily (who inevitably cries). She will let anyone hold her or play with her. When she laughs or gets excited, it is more of a squeal than a giggle. I love her spirit of tenacity and her sweet, easy-going spirit.

And that's me in the middle. I am now a stay at home mom (SAHM for future reference), former elementary teacher, missionary, and camp counselor. I'm married to the most patient, dedicated man in the world.

Ok this was just my intro post, but more entertaining things are sure to come.
p.s. I will also make this blog a lot cuter soon! But for now...default fonts and colors!