April Fools!

I posted this on Facebook and text to my parents (that aren't on FB!) and the response was great!  I haven't had so much fun in a long time!!

Gotta love the Niece and SILs comments:  "going all clown car" and "keeping up with the Duggar's!"

Twin Tip Tuesday-Tag Team Cleaning

Yay! The day is finally here and it's actually Tuesday!


For the last several weeks I have fought the girls tooth and nail about cleaning their playroom. The biggest thing I don't understand about it is, I really make it simple for them.

Last December in preparation for all the new Christmas toys we cleaned the playroom and made a place for everything. They have 2 toy boxes, one for loveys and one for baby dolls and their stuff. Then they have a toy bins for...Barbies, doctor stuff, animals and little people, dishes and food, and pretend jewelry and make-up. Then they also have a laundry basket for dress up clothes, shoes and hats. Last they have 2 long shelves, that they can reach, that have bigger items such as the puzzle rack, computers, magna-doodle and a box of Legos.

When I first organized their room, I watched the first few times they cleaned and made sure they understood where everything goes and what they were doing. That went well for a while. In the last month or so the problem arose that it wasn't they couldn't get it clean, but it took an entire day. If they didn't get distracted and start playing, they were fighting over who got to clean up what.

Here is where the twin tip comes in. I stared having them take turns. One sits on the stairs while the other chooses a category to clean up (barbies, babies, dress-up, etc.) Then when they are done cleaning their choice they tag the other and it's the other twins turn.

Okay, I know, I know. I've been absent again!!  It happens with 3 kiddos, plus 3 and a hubby and a dog and a cat!! 
Anyways.  I will soon be starting a ness weekly blog called Twin Tips (I have all intention of doing it on Tuesday so it will be Tuesday's Twin Tip, but since I can't even seem to write monthly then we will see if I can actually stick to Tuesdays!)
Okay it's not Tuesday and this really isn't a tip but...
I was doing one of my favorite things today, building memories.  My girls layed on a blanket outback and watched the clouds while I fixed dinner.

Then I played waitress and gave them dinner 3 courses at a time.  Twin Tip #1  give veggies as first course.  Broccolli was all gone before second course came out!!  Then there was chicken and noodles.  Then caramel delights for dessert!

Emily then put the girls to bed.  This would be Twin Tip #2, but I can't make having a ten year old a tip, but let me just tell you she rocks!  The ten minutes I had to myself while she put the girls to bed were priceless. 

It got even better, after the girls were in bed, Emily and I listened to music with dual headphones on my computer while she did research for her history project, all on her own!! (yep I didn't have to tell her twice!)  And I Facebooked about whether Chuck E Cheese was a rat or a mouse with my 2nd oldest stepdaughter.  My life is truely blessed with nights like this!  If I can offer any Tips it is to spend as much time with your family!

Wordless Wednesday October 19th

Best Friends

Wordless Wednesday-September 7, 2011



Allison, Ella, Emily, Abby acting like baby bears at the top of the Smokey Mountains :)



Time flies Part 2

I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted!  I was just saying that Emily was done with the TAKS test.   How funny is it that, agian today she has another TAKS test.  She has the math test today and the writing tomorrow.  I guess I should start looking for a spanish tutor since the next time I might have time to post she will probably be in high school!

Anyways, quick catch up...Little girls turned 3, had their first real Easter and went to see their first movie! 

Here is their 3rd birthday party...

My three princesses

Here's to hoping the girls won't be in college by my next post!

Time Flies

TAKS test is over for Emily!! She had writing for the first time this year.  Maybe she's gong to follow in her moms footprints,  she seems to feel confident she made the highest grade!!

Everyday I'm amazed with what all my kids are going through...Emily and the TAKS, then we had a "pre-school" meeting for the twins and my youngest step-daughter is talking SAT tutoring!!

How time flies!!

Twinados hit the game closet

There are no words!  I should have saved for Wordless Wednesday...

Painting

I've been wanting to share this for a long time but with going back to work, it seems I don't have much time to post.  Anyways...
Hubby and I were using paint brushes the other weekend to glue something in the garage a few weekends ago.  The girls really wanted to help so I gave them a couple of paint brushes and a big coffee can of water and they "painted" the driveway for hours!!

Fourth of July and Potty Training

Yesterday we had a great time hanging out at Clear Lake Park and watching fireworks!  We went to the park and played for an hour or so, then sat in the back of the truck playing while we waited for it to get dark.  The fireworks were a little far away.  I was so surprised that the girls actually enjoyed them.  They liked talking about the colors and shapes they made!

The best part of all is I  know my girls are potty trained now.  We started potty training 2 weeks ago today.  I have not mentioned it before because I was afraid I would jinx it!  We decided to just jump in and go for it, we ditched the diapers and went straight to big girl panties.  The first 3 days or so were HORRIBLE!  They had tons of accidents but it has paid off.  Yesterday we were out and about with just panties, no accidents and they used the public restroom!  I am so proud of them!

Family Movie Night

It's nights like these that make it all worth it :)

Emily had been gone for a month to her dad's.  When she got home we all snuggled up and watched "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"  Not the greatest movie but the kids enjoyed it and I enjoyed the snuggles!  We had learned what meatballs a few days before when we had spaghetti and meatballs.  Throughout the movie they kept saying "MeeBalls, Meeballs!!"

Baby Talk

The girls have been growing leaps and bounds lately in their language.  It surprises me how much they say and how they can understand each other (since no one else can!)

Ella says:
"Abby Cape" (for her sister Abby Kate) and "EllaKrissin" for Ella Kristin
She comes in the kitchen and says "Whayadoin"  and I tell her and ask her back what she is doing and she says"Nufin"
When I tell her I love her she says "Lovey"

Abby on the other hand is just finally getting where we can understand her, which is big in itself. 
She will tel her sister,"Hi Ella, whayoudoin?" 
She says "shoes on or shoes off" 

They have both learned animal sounds which is soooo cute! 

I think we will be starting potty training this weekend or Monday...Say a little prayer :)

Toddler Beds Saga: The Finale

Just thought I would update.  As of yesterday the twins have been in their toddler beds for 2 weeks.  After a few days in a row last week of sitting outside there door and peeking in or shushing every sound, I am proud to say they go to bed with no problems!!  I guess the newness finally wore off.

Part 2: The Toddler Bed Saga

This is how we found them the next morning
--->
after starting toddler beds.  That is Abby under the pillow at Ella's feet!  And the problems begin...

A week ago today we have been in toddler beds.  The first few days were amazing.  I thought this was going to be a piece of cake.  I was completely WRONG!  It has gone down hill since then.
As I am writing this I am laying outside of their door during nap.  My girls have always been on schedule kiddos.  Noon for nap and 7:00 bedtime.  Yesterday it took me until after 2:00 to get them down for a nap and it was about 8:30 last night that they finally bedded down for the night. 
It's amazing how I can walk in there and tell them they need to go to sleep, they look at me sweetly and say "Otay" and then as soon as the door shuts they forget and start running all over the place.  They now have only beds in their room.  What can they find so exciting about running around an empty room for 2 hours!!

Well I think they are finally asleep so off to be productive.  Be on the look out for part 3 of this Saga.  Hopefully that will be the part with the happy ending.

Toddler Beds

We put the girls down for a nap Saturday only to find out a little later that they had been out of their cribs and completely destroyed their bedroom. Abby crawled out and passed Ella  a laundry basket so she could stand on it and climb out. All I can keep thinking about is Wonder Pets: Team Work theme song!!

So needless to say no nap Saturday.

Sunday was my hubby's birthday so we had people over and could not take the girls' cribs apart and turn them into toddler beds, luckily by nap time they were so tired (from staying up late the night before and no nap yesterday) that they didn't bother to climb out. That night though Abby got out about 3 times.

We still didn't set up the toddler beds on Monday (to tired from all the festivities of the weekend) and yes Abby was out 2 or 3 times at nap and bedtime.

Which brings us to yesterdays nap time that she crawled out about 6 times!! So we assembled toddler beds before bedtime. I was so shocked, they did amazing!! I was not ready for toddler beds. I thought it was going to be a fight, but it wasn't. Abby got out of bed only once last night and today, not at all!!

Now if we can potty train this easily!