I yub a beach

We had the best week at Crystal Beach.  Clear skies, cool breezes, happy kids - I couldn't ask for a better combination!   It was a perfect vacation!  

I had my doubts in the beginning, though - we left all three of the kids' bags at home and didn't realize it until we were almost to Galveston.  Then Maggie woke up with yucky drainage from her ear.  Our trip to the "med center" was a trip - the receptionist had to move her Marlboro Reds out of the way to give me the paperwork to fill out, and we had to wait an extra 10 minutes to be seen because the entire office staff along with the pregnant lady in the waiting room had to take a smoke break.  Wow is all i can say!!  After that it was smooth sailing!

 

 

Kirby and William LOVED the sand and water, and once we got Maggie some water shoes, she was sold, too!  All week William sang, "Where are we going?" Dora style and Maggie would answer, "To the beach!"  Kirby told us several times that she wished she could have a beach cabin of her own...me too, Kirbs, me too!! 

They loved it so much that I got a little nervous - William would take off toward the water yelling, "Tame ooon, Mommy!" (come on)  I can't explain how perfect it was though - the beach and water were so clean, and there was a very shallow sand bar about 20 feet from the shore - we had a perfect little "pool" to play in all week!

 

 

Impromptu photo shoot...

I already can't wait until next year!  William put it best...I yub a beach!!

Mine (cont'd)

William/Willum Tell/Tails/Buddy/Scooter Bill/Pooter/Booger Bear/Handsomest (amazing that the nickname "Will" hasn't even begun to creep into the mix!!), it's your turn!  I have been blessed with some super sweet kiddos, but there is something about you, sweet boy, that grabs my heart.  I guess it's true what they say about boys and their mommas!

You are always SO excited to see everyone and greet us with an enthusiastic, "HI, Mommy!" (or fill in the blank with your name) whenever we enter a room. You love to hug and kiss and pat and rub, and when we love on you, you say, "Thank you, Mommy.  Thank you." (or fill in the blank with your name) like we're doing you a favor. 

You love our attention but are quite content to play by yourself.  Your absolute favorite things right now are cars (Daddy is thrilled that cars have replaced your shoe affinity!!)...Mater, Lightning McQueen, and Finn McMissile top the list.  You eat with them, you sleep with them, and if we'd let you, you'd bathe with them!  You love to line them up and push them back and forth.  You do not, however, love to share them.  The other day Kirby had one of your cars and you threw a huge fit until she returned it.  You immediately stopped crying once she gave it back, grinned and said, "Look!  I got it!"  I think you know how to work us all!

 

You are our super sensitive kiddo, and you get your feelings hurt very easily.  Your eyes fill up with the fattest tears, and you cover them with the palms of your hands and just boohoo when you don't get your way. You also like to vent your frustration by hitting and pushing.  Unfortunately, Mags bares the brunt of this.  We're working on using gentle hands, but you spend some time several times each day sitting by yourself. 

You are beginning to talk more and more, and I love hearing the new things you say.  The other day as I was rolling up with water hose, you came over, put your hands on your knees, cocked your head and said, "Can I try it?"  You emphasize the second syllable of lots of words - like biCYCles and blueBERries and oPANES (airplanes) and hellCOPters.  I hope you say them that way forever! 

You can be such a silly boy, but you are very serious most of the time.  You study everything very carefully - I can tell you're thinking about some very important things - I can't wait for you to be able to tell me all about them!

I love you and your sisters so much, Tails, and I am so grateful that you are all MINE!!

Mine!

As twins, William and Maggie share everything - birthday parties, a room, pacifiers, toys, viruses, even shoes sometimes - so, it's no surprise that one of their favorite words is, "MINE!"  Maggie, you shouldn't have to share everything, so this post is all yours, sweet girl!

 

Maggie/Mags/Moo/Moopers/Mooperville/Maggers, you are such a sweetheart.  You're cute and funny and stubborn and loving and gentle.  You're a little Momma - always concerned about William.  You make sure he has pacifiers and snacks.  You are right there to comfort him with a hug or a pat if he's hurt or sad and just as quick to threaten him with a finger wag and Time Out if he's not being sweet.

 

You're a total chatterbox and have started speaking in sentences - "He hit me 'gain!"  "What doing, Mommy?"  "Where my blankie, Mommy?"  "I don't see it!" (the blankie)  "You sit down wite dare."  "I play dress up" and my all time favorites "I hold you" and "I help you."  You ask "What's that?" and "Why?" ALL the time, and you always say please and thank you.   You seem much happier now that you can communicate a little better.  I think you're going to give Kirbs a run for her money!

You still need a little extra loving and take your one on one time wherever you can get it - like in the bathroom with me.  You sit on the little potty or in my lap and keep me company!  You love to snuggle and grab our cheeks to pull our face towards yours for a kiss.  If we can't hold you or help you right when you think it should be done, you can throw quite a fit and end up in time out.  You're really good at composing yourself, though.  It's hard, but you can calm down pretty quickly when faced with sitting by yourself!

You love to have your hair fixed and can't wait until you have more of it to work with.  We got Kirby and William's hair cut a few weeks ago and you were thrilled to get to sit in the chair and have yours combed and fixed.  It's long enough now that we have to pull a little bit of the top back to keep it out of your eyes - we're getting there!!"

You sleep and nap so well, and sometimes when Daddy comes in your room in the morning you see him and pretend to still be sleeping so you can have a few more minutes with your pappy and blankie.  That pappy is like crack, and you gotta get your fix for the day!

You are into pretending that you're a cat - you crawl around meowing and pretend licking everything.  You are also starting to show interest in baby dolls.  You want me to change their diapers, and you sing to them and put them to bed - that little momma in you is just shining through!

 

You're always coming up with something new, and I can't wait to see what that will be each day!!  We love you, sweet Moo!!

Say what?!

The kids have been full of it lately, and we've been cracking up (and sometimes tearing up) at all they've had to say...

Maggie:  William, you time out!
---
Kirby:  I have scruffles on my face.
---
Megan: I'm so glad I got a new battery.  I've really missed my watch.
Kirby: I'm sure your watch really missed you, too, Mommy!
---
Kirby: Ethan, I'll be the mommy and you can be the husband...why won't you kiss me?
---
Megan: Kirby, where's William?
Kirby: Oh, just follow the trail of nuts.
---
Kirby: Mommy, you can throw my blankie in the trash.  I'm a big girl - I don't need it anymore.
Megan: Just because you're a big girl (sniff, sniff) doesn't mean you can't have a blankie - you can just keep it in your bed.
Kirby:  Well, then Daddy can put it in the attic.  I don't want it.
Megan:  (sniff, sniff) ok.
fast forward 3 hours
Kirby: Daddy, please put my blankie in the attic.  I don't need it anymore.  I'm a big girl.
Jim: ok (sniff, sniff as he tucks her into bed)
fast forward 15 minutes
Kirby:  Daddy, can you please bring me my blankie?!?
---
Maggie: I beautiful!
---
Kirby:  William, do you have salad poop?
TMI, I'm sure, but the twins have had what has been diagnosed as toddler's diar.rhea for almost 3 months, so WAY too much of our daily conversation includes diaper discussion.  she meant SOLID!!
---
William: God is gate.  thank you.  amen.

happy burd-day to you?!?

We’ve been “happy burd-day to you-ing” it for two weeks straight – seems appropriate because our TWINS are TWO!  We kicked off the festivities with a celebration in Beaumont over 4^th of July weekend and finished it off with a day o’ fun in San Antonio last weekend.  Both were absolutely perfect and all about Maggie and William! 

Round 1:  Bouncing, beer & burgers thanks to Annie & DonDon and Niece & Py

 Maggie ran errands before the party with Annie and me and picked out this chair - she loved it! 

Mags loves her some Kirby!

Yummiest cupcakes ever!

 M&W sang "Happy Burd-day" to themselves!

William went straight for the icing and Mags quickly followed suit

Round 2: Kiddie Park thanks to Nana & Papa!

The kids were in heaven!   Kiddie Park was such a blast from the past - Jim & Julie went there as kids, and it reminded me so much of Camps Junction.  So, so fun!

No one gets more excited than Kirb-a-lirbs.  By far my favorite thing about her!!

Steering a carriage is serious business...

the "big" girls!

Elliot was so excited to play with Maggie and William - she is such a sweetheart!

Kirby was comforting Jim on the space ship ride - he was a little scared

Their first experience with cotton candy was a hit.  They inhaled it!  

We wrapped up the day with pool time, pizza & birthday cake!

Happy Birthday, sweet Maggie & William!

sweet sisters

it's so fun to see these two playing with and loving on each other!  they play princess and castle together which invloves dressing up and hiding under tables while kirby tells maggie what to say and do and maggie hangs on kirby's every word!

kirby wants maggie to eat at the "big" little table with her all the time, too.  last week maria let mags eat lunch with kirby, and when she came back from the kitchen with william, both girls had their hands clasped and heads down.  when kirby finished the blessing, maggie said, "amen!"  such sweet sisters - i hope kirby will always set such a good example!

we spent last weekend in san antonio with nana and papa, and we caught the girls playing in nana's bowl:

iphone pics

the most recent few photos from my phone...

more posing!

one of my faves!  sweet william and his sweet daddy on father's day

mags checking out the butterfly as it came out of its cocoon!

happy thursday!