shoes

so this entry is going to be about my little maverick cole. ever since that boy could walk...he has been obsessed with shoes. not all shoes...just women's shoes. he holds them, examines them, somehow manages to put them on his feet then walks around in them regardless of the heel height. he walks better in heels than i do i often tease.

when we go shoe shopping...he always ends up looking at the little girl shoes with rinestones, glitter, pink or purple laces. his faves were some "ruby slipper" type shoes that were covered in red siquince. i had to explain that these belong to little girls and that we would find him some red shoes for boys. thank god we found "Cars" shoes that were red...not as flashy, but red! Poor Maverick.

so lately i have been a total tabloid junky (i am obsessed with robert pattinson from twilight...this is a totally different blog, haha) so for the first time in my life i am buying Entertainment Weekly and US Weekly magazines which has celebs all dressed up and of course showing off their shoes. well maverick started flipping through one of the magazines and is now claiming he needs all these shoes and that we need to call Santa and tell him.

i was cracking up...should i be worried? because i am not...i love that he is so different from his "macho-one-minute-older-brother" joaquin. maybe he will be a famous shoe designer some day...or maybe he will be the dude wearing women's shoes! haha either way i love him.

and as maverick would say..."mama, you're crazy!!"

my little comedian

the boys and i ran an errand they other day and we passed by the movie theater. joaquin kept saying "mom it's the moooovies", "let's go to the mooovies", "the mooovies" over and over again.
then out of nowhere he busts out with.

"hey mom, where do the cows go?"

i was like...the cows!! what cows??? and he says..

"mama, the cows go to the moooovies!"

maverick looked at me in the rear view mirror and then we both looked at joaquin and cracked up.
i was totally overwhelmed by him making up his first joke. i shed a quick joyful tear and then cracked up even more!!

watch out seinfeld!!

4th of July

ok so i know this happened about a week ago almost but i needed time to rest. since we had a 3 day weekend i decided to make the most of our time and get out doors. on friday ran our usual errands, bank, groceries, oil change and ordered steve's birthday cake. we then to grandma and grandpa's house for fun in the pool and bbq. we also had some tasty watermelon...aahh the tastes of summer. we had a great time. we were in the pool from like 5 to 8:30!! we came home sooo tired and wiped out!

on saturday we went to grandma's and coco's house where my sister actually made an awesome 4th of July meal. Meatloaf (like our grandma used to make) homemade mac n' cheese, mashed potatoes...so good!! then all three boys (my favorite nephew logan was there) played in the baby pool in the backyard. they came home so pooped out we changed our plans to go see the fireworks in the woodlands. once we were home they knocked out and woke up around 8:30pm. the neighbors were popping fireworks so we decided to sit and watch from our driveway. the boys were a good audience. clapping simultaniously when they saw something they liked...it was hilarious. they cheered and jumped up like the whole show was just for them! we finally came inside around 10pm. everyone took showers and baths and it was off to bed.

sunday steve went to work and the boys and i slept til about 8:30am which is late at our house. it felt good but we didn't see the outdoors that day. they didn't even ask to go outside. needless to say we had an awesome weekend. and that is why i didn't write about it till now. haha

fire alarms...smoke detectors...

when we bought our home it was built with a fire alarm/smoke detector system. each room has a smoke detector and if one goes off all the others do as well. great idea right?? well we have already had the discussion with the twins about if they hear the alarm go off, to get out of the house!! we explained to wake each other up since they are in the same room and leave the house and go next door. they asked, "well mom, don't you want us to come wake you up?" and we explained they just needed to get themselves out.

well early this morning around 2am they started to go off!! steve and i immediately ran to the twins room when maverick gets up and says "mom moooooove, i need to get out of here!!" i cracked up and explained that the batteries were dead and needed to be replaced and that was why the alarm was going off! he laid back down and went straight to sleep, with the alarm still going off!!

when we woke up this morning i asked him if he remembered the alarm going off and he said, yep but he was dreaming, and it was ok!!

joaquin was in our room by the way!! he had already gotten up and climbed into our bed before that ever happened. he didn't even remember it going off either!!

i just don't understand why that stupid thing waited until 2am to get us to change the batteries!!
steve and i were talking and the last time the batteries needed to be changed it went off in the middle of the night too!! i know it's a life saver but at 2am to change the batteries...it's just annoying!!! i will write later to tell you about our 4th of july festivities!!

i hate popcorn kernels

the other night while watching a movie with the kids a crazy little thing happened. i saw that joaquin was messing with his ear and decided to take a look. he had shoved a popcorn kernel in his ear. i laid him on the bed and got my tweezers and was able to retrieve it without too much trouble. but of course this was too easy...there was another one shoved all the way in his ear. i tired to use the tweezers but i was afraid i was going to push it further in. my husband and i talked it over and then it was off to the emergency room again for the 2nd time in a matter of weeks.

the doctor there tried a couple of different methods and managed to get it out only to find ANOTHER one all the way in his ear. this one the er doctor said he was going to need to see and ear, nose and throat specialist. so we made an appointment for the next morning at 7am.

the next morning the ent doctor said that it was pushed too far in his ear and that she would have to sedate him to get it out!! so they scheduled him for 10am, so we waited and filled out paperwork to get him registered. the crazy thing was that he wasn't going to be seen until 10 because there were 7 other kids in front of him scheduled for "foreign object removal" procedures. that helped and i didn't feel like such a horrible parent. haha

15 -20 minutes later the doctor came out to the waiting room to say the procedure went well and she had no trouble at all. that was when i heard him screaming from the tops of his lungs all the way from the waiting room. she must have seen the horror in my eyes and assured me that it was normal behavior for a child coming out of anesthesia. 45 minutes later we were being wheeled through the waiting room and lobby while i clutched him tightly so he wouldn't fall out of my arms. he kicked, hit, screamed all the way to the car and then continued to throw himself around while strapped into his car seat.

i have never in my life seen him act like that before. it was the craziest thing. we finally got home and he finally calmed down. after his nap he was totally fine and needless to say that was an adventure.

now we are going to see if we can go a couple weeks without going to the emergency room. ha ha

cartoon or kid movie

well my mom invited us to go the movies yesterday evening and it was an adventure. we had to decide between up and a night at the smithsonian. the boys looked at the posters and decided that ben stiller's pic looked better. i was afraid they weren't going to sit through it since it wasn't a cartoon, but they did pretty good. the movie kept their attention with a lot of action so they were good to go.

grandma totally spoiled them with popcorn, candy and a soda. they liked everything but the soda. a little smile came across my face when they made a sour face after tasting it. if you've read one of my previous entries you would know they think flavored water is juice...all in plan to try to get them to eat healthy. they will have the rest of their lives to rot their teeth out of their head on their own time.

either way, we had a good time and they went straight to sleep in the car on the way home. always a plus. they did however wake up today asking how they got from the movies to their bed! ha ha that's what i call a kid hangover. kind of like when we have had too much to drink and can't remember how we got home, let alone in our bed with our pajamas on. ;) they had so much fun all they remember was movie, treats and then waking up!!

i guess that was their way of saying they had a great time. let's see what the rest of the day brings!! have a great day!!

i love saturdays

well this morning started out just like any other morning except for one important detail...i had enough sleep!!! yesterday when i got home all three of my boys (the twins and my husband) were taking a nap (must be nice). i decided it was time we break out their little kiddie pool as a surprise for when they woke up. they got up just in time and were totally excited. my husband informed me that the boys and i think alike because they asked about the pool on their way home. 

either way they splashed for about 45 minutes when i started to get too hot just sitting there so i went in and put my swimsuit on to join the fun. they looked at me like i was crazy and then cracked up laughing and encouraged me to get in. it really felt good to be outside playing with them. we played for another 45 minutes and then dad brought out dinner and we ate outside. there is nothing like hot dogs and playing in the pool. after that we pretty much called in quits. i took a shower while my husband bathed the boys. 

after that we were ready for what i like to call movie night. we don't do it on any particular day, but we try to have it often. last night was transformers, joaquin's pick of course. they loved it while i fast forwarded the movie to all the action parts. it was over in about 50 minutes. 

after that the boys went straight to bed and i was ready for bed too. the pool took it's toll on us.

my husband stayed up and said we were all out before we he came in for his first check-in.

which leads us back to our wonderful saturday morning. breakfast with my mom and dad or as the boys would say "grandma and coco". then we ran our usual errands and it was back home to relax. now it's nap time and i have a little time to myself.

enjoy the rest of your weekend. :)

learning the days of the week

the boys are really into the very hungry caterpillar written by Eric Carle. this book is cool because it is helping them learn colors, foods, numbers, sizes (big/small), and of course the days of the week. i know the book by heart because they want to read it to me "individually" of course. i started using the days of the week in conversation a lot more when talking to them. for example, "we are going to wal-mart on SATURDAY", "mom has to go back to work because it's MONDAY". well they are really starting to get it. it's funny because we still listen in on them from our room through the baby monitor and we can hear them talking amongst each other. they say stuff like. "no we don't go to the pool, that's on saturday" or "we have to go to daycare it's gonna be monday". it's so cool to see them putting it all together.

on another note, i wonder when i will ever be able to go through any normal daily activities like using the restroom, showering, getting dressed, eating, watching a movie/tv show, or driving, without being interrupted by someone needing something.

Daily Quotes From Our House:
• "mama, i need more juice!"
(juice is really flavored water; they will never know)
• "mama, i want my markers."
(because of course we put these on a high self)
• "mama, watch this."
(usually joaquin doing a flip or some other acrobatics in the living room)
• "mama, oh my, look the witch"
(they watch the wizard of oz everyday and they are surprised by the witch every time.)
• "mama, are you pee-pee?"
(guess where i am sitting when they ask this question, haha)
• "mama, i wanna watch
(maverick: plug in any disney princess movie title here)!"
• "mama, i wanna watch
(joaquin: plug in any other disney movie title that does not have a princess in it here)!"

well i thought those would be funny tidbits!! have a good weekend!

it's only been a little over 3 years

my husband and i have come to the realization that the boys are needing us less and less. i know what you're thinking...they are still babies, but when you think of how much babies grow in a matter of 3 years it's crazy. i was looking through old videos of the boys when they were infants and my mouth just dropped open. the other thing that's amazing is how well my husband and i were able to roll with the punches.

we literally can't remember our home before they were born. it's almost like we did nothing until they were born. we bought a house, painted it, furnished it and then waited. well at least that's what i can remember! ha!

it's just that they are so independent now from getting up and storming in my room to say, "mom, wake up, the sun is up, wake up mama" to being able to remind me about my bag when i forget it in the morning on out way to the car. when i am about to shut the garage door, maverick says, "mama, your backpack, it's in the house on the couch...i'll get it!" it's moments like these that make me realize how big they are.

this morning was great. i got up took and shower while everyone slept. when i stepped out of the bathroom, the boys greeted me with a sad "you-have-to-go-to-work" face. i explained that i did have to go to work but that dad was staying home with them today. they both smiled and jumped on my bed with my still sleeping husband in it. as he got up to get them a morning snack and i got dressed they quietly watched cartoons. when i came back in the room to say good-bye. i leaned in to give maverick a kiss and he whispered, "mama i love you over the rainbow." i looked at his face and his eyes told me he meant it. I then leaned over to joaquin and he whispered, "mom, i love your guts with all my heart" i looked at his little crooked smile and could tell he meant it too. as i walked through the kitchen to the front door my husband smiles as kisses me.

i walked out to my jeep and wondered to myself when did all this happen. it's wonderful feeling to know the people you love, love you back in their own special way.

It's been awhile

well we have had a lot going on lately. besides starting a new job and trying to juggle all of our schedules on top of my new one is taking a little getting used to.

the oldest twin was just in the hospital for like 4 days with pneumonia. it's crazy how something like that can make your whole life stop. it wasn't even a question as to how i would handle work and a child in the hospital... i just didn't go to work. i can't imagine not being able to be with him.

well i will try to post more often now that i have found some sort of balance to work and family for right now.

sick kids

we remember the boys being babies and not being able to communicate their symptoms when they were sick. as parents we would have to know how are babies behaved well in order to identify a change in behavior that would denote an illness. yep…we had to be mind readers!!!

now that the boys communicate a lot better they are able to tell us what is bothering them. for instance…we now know that when one of them says "mama, my tummy hurts." we have about 20 seconds to get a bowl to their face or them to a toilet. believe me when i say it didn't take us long to figure that out. we also know that when they complain about their "neck" hurting they mean they have a sore throat. when they say their spit hurts their ears that means it hurts when they swallow and they possibly have an ear infection.

my husband says that i amaze him in how i take care of our boys. but to me it's like common sense. here's what i do and then you can tell me what you think.

Common Cold:

-cool mist humidifier

-baby vicks on chest and feet (not infants)

-very warm chicken soup eaten through a big straw

-gatorade or water (keep handy to keep hydrated)

-plenty of rest or quiet activities (coloring/puzzles/cards/disney movies)

-warm bath with vapor baby wash

Tummy Problems (Vomiting)

-keeping them on a covered surface

-keeping a bowl handy

-drinking small amounts of water or gatorade until they keep something down

-sugar-free popsicles

-sugar-free jello (no fruit)

-plenty of rest (disney movies)

-once vomiting stops, start with small light snacks (goldfish/crackers/soup)

-we've noticed the less mobile they are the better.

Tummy Problems (Diarrhea)

-check diaper every 15 minutes or have frequent restroom breaks

-drink plenty of liquids (water/gatorade/sugar-free popsicles/jello)

-use the B.R.A.T. diet

Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast

-the constant wiping from cleaning can lead to very bad diaper rash

-when possible don't wipe rise with soap and water in sink

trust me this is difficult to do with twins but the rash they can get from this is horrible and well worth the trouble.

-diaper rash ointments we recommend…

Aquaphor and Butt Paste

Either way just sharing some stuff that we have learned along the way.

Share your knowledge…

sneaky sleepers…

the boys just turned 3 in February and they have a new trend. usually about 2 am they come in our room quietly and camp out between us. don't get me wrong they go back to sleep, it's what happens once they are asleep that is bothering us. for whatever reason they like to snuggle…one with me and the other with my husband. problem???? they generate so much body heat it's crazy!!

like seriously i wake and my side is all sweaty, i look at him and nothing. cool as a cucumber.

i can't explain it, it's so weird. they have never slept in our bed before, even as infants they were great about sleeping in their cribs and now their toddler beds. my husband and i have talked about it and we don't mind it. everyone says, "nip it in the bud before it gets worse." but we think it's cool.

a couple of weeks ago, my husband was not feeling well (cold) and we didn't want them to be in there and we thought it was going to be a problem for them to go back to their beds but it wasn't. they were like "oh, dada is sick? poor dada!" and they went back to bed. so it's all good.

Time…

my husband and i often think about what we did with our time before we had our boys. we know that we did something we just can't think of what it was. funny huh?

well now our days our filled with snacks, educational programming and playing with every toy at once. we answer endless questions about why mommy can't pee standing up and why we can't color on the walls and furniture and why we can't just eat cookies and goldfish all day.

the crazy thing is, at the end of the day when they are both asleep and the house is quiet…we miss them. we sit and talk about all the silly things each of them did and crack up about how the other reacted to it.

one thing i hope i used to do is sleep!!