More Visitors...

We've had a whirlwind of guests lately and it's been so fun! Sara, Brody, and Asher--our best buds from Katy came for a long weekend. We stayed busy and had a blast, but the trip was way too short!! We took them to Jack Stacks for some good KC BBQ; visited the farmstead--what kid wouldn't like feeding goats and running around a huge farm? We ate our meals outside in the nice weather on the patio, let the kids play in and out, and Sara and I got to get some scrapbooking done during naps and bedtimes!! How nice!

Then, Nana and Patrick came for the Labor Day holiday/my birthday. We always love having them here. One day they babysat and Tyler took me shopping at Town Center for my bday, to dinner and a movie. It had been a while since we had gotten to do that and it was so enjoyable...walking leisurely, eating in peace without having to scarf my food in case a child decides they've had enough, and seeing a "grown up" movie (Bourne Ultimatum). My mom also took me shopping at Legends one day--so fun! For my bday cake, we all picked out a piece we wanted from Dean and Deluca and stuck them together with candles atop. I think that's the way to go!!! Their trip was too short as well, but as soon as we know it, our other friends all the way from Oregon will be here next week!!!

In the mean time, I'm getting ready to see the kids off to pre school next week! We met their teachers and saw their classroom yesterday. They seemed to really enjoy it and their teachers seem super nice. It's just one day a week, but it still seems wierd and a little sad. I know it will be good for us all, though. Piper is already attached to her lunch box and backpack!

Teen!!!

We had the privilege of having Kristine (Tyler's sister) come to stay with us for a whole week! The kids quickly dubbed her as "Teen" and it stuck. It didn't take long for her to become their new favorite person. They loved having her ride next to them in the back seat; drinking her coke and chewing her gum; and having someone else to be so silly with. She was even nice enough to babysit one night while Mommy and Daddy went out to dinner with the neighbors!! Thanks, Teen! We had a great time showing her all around our new stomping grounds, going to the gym, out to eat, and just having another person to hang out and talk with! Before Teen left this morning, she was thoughtful enough to strip her bed of the linens so they could be washed, and fold up her blankets and set them by the bed, so...as we walked upstairs this afternoon to lay the kids down for a nap, Piper passed Teen's room and said "Hey-where'd Teen covers go??" Too cute. We miss you and hope to have you back soon!!!

See more pics here...

http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?&mode=fromsite&collid=27674666306.585971270306.1187487797661&conn_speed=1

Movie Magic!

We discovered that the AMC theater down the road from us offers FREE movies for kids every Wednesday during the summer!!! I thought we'd give it a go. This week was Charlotte's Web. The movie started at 10am, but we got there at 9:30 to beat the crowds. So much for that...kids everywhere!!! Anyway, we got our tickets, Porter and Piper each gave theirs to the ticket taker to tear and give back. We walked straight to the snack bar and stood in line for our kids' snack pack...a small popcorn, fruit snacks, and a HiC. Walked into the dark, big theater and found our seats not too far from the very front! Snuggled into our big movie chairs, the twins acted like they'd done this 100 times before! Finally, the movie starts! For the first 30 minutes they watched the huge screen in awe, motionless. Piper was quite the commentator..."that pig silly", "pig get out", "pig get bath". Porter didn't say a word, but stared at the screen and munched his popcorn. After about 30 minutes, Piper got a little restless and proceeded to get up and down and down and up and walk over to Porter and say "Hi, Porter" over and over until he acknowledged her. Despite a little movement from our section, we made it thru the ENTIRE movie!!! We all clapped at the end (Tyler hates when people clap at movies, but it seemed very appropriate today!). I think Porter would have stayed for an encore, but we all made it out to the bright daylight and are looking forward to our next magical movie experience (Over the Hedge when Aunt Steen is here in two weeks!). I love a good movie, but I love watching my kids at one even more!

Happy Anniversary

My mom came in for a long weekend, so we decided to take advantage of her coming so near to our anniversary (8 years...5 of them blissful, as Tyler likes to say) and take a mini vacation to the Country Club Plaza of Kansas City. Tyler has been there several times for fancy dinners with work, but I have only driven by with our realtor 2 months ago. So, Friday at lunch, we leave the kids to have a blast with Nana and make our way. We ate lunch on the second floor balcony of Brio...Tuscan food. We looked out at rolling hills of trees and huge homes as we dined on amazing salads. Seriously...the BEST grilled salmon salad I've ever had! Not like I've had many, but I can imagine. Then, we spent the afternoon shopping in all the neat stores, walking around like tourists in our own city...taking in the many fountain views and drinking iced coffees. After checking into the hotel and relaxing for a while, we made our way back to the Plaza for another patio dining experience at Baja 600. It's "Mexican" food. I was excited since we haven't really had good Mexican since we left TX. It was very good, but not your typical yummy, greasy, tex-mex that we natives are used to. However, the experience was good and the patio was great. We were stuffed, so decided to walk back up the hill (yes, there are many hills in this place!) to the hotel instead of calling the shuttle. Saturday morning we slept IN...yay!!! Then, another walk to the infamous Plaza for another wonderful meal (I think all we did was walk and eat, but it seemed so wonderful!). Brunch at the Classic Cup (on the patio, of course)...the BEST "griddle cakes" and french pressed coffee (Kansas City Brew) we've ever had!!! Our plan after that was to be lazy by the pool, but the impending clouds changed our minds. Instead, we got ready, checked out, and headed back to our neck of the woods, stopped at Dick's for new tennis shoes (Happy Anniversary, sweetie), grabbed some Starbucks and came home. Babies were sleeping, but we had a nice reunion when they woke. We brought back gifts, of course! We were so excited about our fun trip, we had to take the rest of the fam to see, so we went back to the Plaza AGAIN and showed them the sights, houses, fountains, and patio dining galore. After visiting Deanna Rose farmstead this morning rather than church, and having brunch at Granite City, Nana had to fly back to TX. What a short trip!!! We had so much fun. I know when the kids wake from their naps, they are going to have some serious Nana-withdrawals!! Daddy is taking off Monday and Tuesday, though, so that will help out a lot!

Can you tell by my face I hate standing in pictures alone?

Bacon is good.

Nana swinging with the kiddos at Deanna Rose

Porter will only feed the baby goats...not the full sized ones

Piper is trying to point out to the goat the piece of food she dropped while the goat snacks on her hair instead!

Night-Night!

Today on a whim, I decide that having two cribs and Porter's "big boy" bed and furniture all in his room, is just too much (they have been sleeping in his room since the move...we dare not separate them yet--they are extremely attached!). So, I push the cribs out of the way, pull the trundle out from under his twin bed and let the kids see it and play on it...thinking if they get used to the idea of a real bed, maybe they'll one day sleep in it??? At bed time, we decide to just try it out. The kicker is they both want to be in the same bed. I know this will not last throughout the night as Porter does aerobics in his sleep, they each have a blankie, plus Piper's baby and it's bottles of juice and milk, Porter's bear, and numerous pacifiers. So, I get Piper to lie with me on the bottom trundle, and Tyler lies with Porter on the top bed. Then, about a minute later, we tell them it's night-night time and to go to sleep, Mommy and Daddy are leaving. We get up and walk to the door, look back, and they are actually lying down and going to sleep for the first time ever in a real bed! We are amazed and perplexed! They've been asleep in there for almost 3 hours now and we haven't heard a peep. Kids are so much better at change than we give them credit for!! So, we'll continue this for the week and then hopefully get rid of those cribs and create a lot more space. It's all a little sad...a big step for my "babies". I'm so proud of them, though. I also love that they have each other. Everything they do, they experience together. They, more often than not, fight, but can hardly stand to be in a room if the other isn't there, too. It's a wonderful thing to observe...TWINS! God is so creative.

(The morning after...Piper pops up and says "Hi, Porter!")

Poolside Porter...

So, we're having pizza poolside with three other couples and their kids (our new friends--yay!!). I look up and see my kids have wandered off to the complete other side of the pool. I get up and start walking to them to bring them back our way when Porter decides to just jump off into the deep end. He is wearing his arm floaties (for only the second time ever), so I hesitate for the slightest second thinking "He'll be OK until I get there", then that thought leaves as quickly as it came and I sprint like a mad woman and dive in to rescue my baby. He was a little shaken up, but was totally fine, so after many kisses and I love you's, we headed back to everyone else. Tyler says "You know he was just floating there and was OK, right?" Well, maybe, but I can't imagine leaving my little boy floating, scared, in the deep end all by himself while I took my time leisurely strolling over to fetch him out. So, despite Porter being stuck like glue to me for the rest of the night and many comments about my "save", we had a nice evening.

Side note: Piper is now adding a "y" at the end of all her words in place of the "s", unless it's both like..."I want drinky, Mommies" AND we haven't turned our air conditioner on (except at night when we sleep) in two days...jealous?

That silly girl...

So, all of a sudden today I notice that Piper is adding an "s" to almost all her words. Very odd. I noticed it first with "Porter"...he is now "Porters" and I am "Mommies". She was even looking at her hair today and said "hairs", but I guess that one could actually make sense. She pointed at bear and it was "bears". The only thing I can conclude is that she has taken us saying "that's Porter's" or "this is Mommy's" to mean that she is to add an "s" to all words to make them possesive. The strange thing is that she just woke up doing it...did she dream about it or lie in her bed thinking about it this morning or last night? Kids!