Theater Month

We attended not one but TWO fun musicals in March.

First, these two lovely girls and I went to see their first Broadway musical, on tour in our area.

This was the show:

I can't say it was the best musical I've ever seen, but we still thoroughly enjoyed it, and I loved seeing the many mothers and daughters who, like us, were out for a special night on the town.

Then, two days ago, Brian and I went to Richmond to see this show:

To say the show was fantastic would be an understatement. It was phenomenal...in so many ways...and we can't wait to see it again!

Mr. Pot

Some kids attach themselves to a teddy bear. Or a blanket. Or a special toy.

Not Isaac.

He has attached himself to... a pot.

He carries Mr. Pot upstairs and downstairs many times a day. He puts many things in it. He screams when I try to take it away to, say, cook something in it. He tries to take it in the car when we leave. He makes me hold it in our laps while we read stories--just me, the twins, the book, and Mr. Pot, cozy and snuggly in the rocking chair.

And he absolutely insists on Mr. Pot being in his bed at nap time.

Great Wolf Lodge

Tuesday Afternoon Pictures

Every Tuesday afternoon, my mom comes over to babysit for two hours while I take Emma and Clara to music lessons.

Sometimes she brings her camera, and she has an impromptu photo session.

Here are some of the results:

Ten!

Emma recently turned ten.

Two digits. One decade. How amazing.

She is the loveliest of girls, kind and peaceful and smart and hard-working and good, through-and-through. We are so blessed to have her as our oldest child.

(Birthday party pictures to be added later.)

Two!

They told me the first year would be a blur, but no one mentioned the second.

On the last day of February, our darling twins turned two.

Where did the last year go?

In the last year, we transitioned from baby to toddlerhood.

We said goodbye to pacifiers, bottles, rattles, and all things baby.

We said hello to running, climbing, exploring, screaming, biting, toy-snatching, hitting, talking, creative playing, and loads of personality.

I never dreamed that two-year-old twins could be so enchanting. Or so chaotic.

Their Sunday birthday celebration was marred by the fact that Daddy was working, Mommy was feeling quite lousy, and the twins were sick themselves. The older kids headed to church with the grandparents while the twins and I stayed in our PJs and tried to rest.

I didn't even bother wrapping their present. Instead, I pulled the box out of the attic and put it in the middle of the floor for them to explore. (This was probably the last year I can get away with not wrapping presents!) They've been playing with it--a lot of GeoTrax, purchased on eBay--ever since.

I conjured up enough energy later in the day to make a small semblance of a birthday cake.

Isaac & Madeline were feeling too lousy to eat their dinner, but somehow they managed to down some serious cake.

Happy Birthday to our two little people. To us, you are perfect.

For Sale

The house.

For sale.

Eleven days thus far.

One bottle of multi-purpose cleaner: gone.

Three rolls of paper towels: used.

Two extra-large containers of Clorox Wipes: empty.

One container of Swifter Wet Jet wipes: hollow.

One vacuum cleaner bag: full.

One hour each morning: cleaning.

Another hour each night: more cleaning.

Kids in car in driveway: five minutes (nearly) every departure.

Mom runs back inside while kids wait in car: five minutes (nearly) every departure.

Mom runs back inside to:

*vacuum up the mud, which was tracked everywhere right before leaving

*clean fingerprints off the front-door glass, which was smeared right before leaving

*wipe up the chocolate-tinted drool, as it was dribbled on the rug right before leaving

*roll the toilet paper back up, as it was entirely unrolled right before leaving

*straighten up the bookcase, as it was dumped out right before leaving

*sweep the front porch, as it was dirt-tracked right before leaving

*sweep up the Cheerios, which were crunched right before leaving

Mom prays for house to sell soon: every five minutes during the waking hours.

Those Endless Snow Days

Long-overdue post.

The snow days started the third week in January and continued until mid-February.

Mostly, we just hung out...played outside...cleaned wet snow off the floor...and survived.

But the twins dressed up--

and our fun neighbor hosted a beach party,

complete with crafts--

and plastic pools and flotation devices, in the living room--

and swimsuits, leggings, leis, and sunglasses--

and dancing--
hula dancing.
Beach parties in the dead of winter with two feet on snow on the ground are fun. Really fun.

I think we'll be having one in Minnesota next year.

When we weren't having beach parties or playing in the snow or dressing up, we took random naps--

and made lots of Valentine's--

and we concentrated harder than ever before while wielding the scissors--

and the tongue was like this for nearly an hour--

and that was a lot of really random pictures from a month ago!