Mommy Milestone

Chris and I did something crazy and selfish and took a trip BY OURSELVES to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We spent 4 nights in Sedona and had a really nice time, though it was 1 night too long in my opinion. The boys stayed with Gran and Papa and had loads of fun. We figured after the first night they assumed their old parents were gone and they had new ones. No skin off their backs!

We took a day trip to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. If you have not been, you must go. It truly is awesome, majestic and grand. I don't know all 7 wonders of the world, but I've been to 2 that I know of and both of them have been breathtaking. Whoever came up with the 7 wonders truly knew what they were talking about.

We also took a hot air balloon ride and an off road jeep tour in Sedona. It wasn't until after I made the non-refundable reservations for the balloon ride, that I questioned my sanity for sending both Chris and I 1000 feet above the ground in a woven basket with an open flame. You have to think about these things when you become a parent. I actually took a video of our "blast off" and was yelling, "Matt and Will, if mommy doesn't come back I love you. Wooo Hooo!" That's just not right.

Happy anniversary Chris! Thanks for getting me the watch that I discovered in a magazine ad a year ago. The ad I tore out, handed to you and said, "get this for me for our anniversary next year." Yeah, that one. I must admit, I do have good taste and you sure do follow instructions well.

They Got the Memo

For the most part we've been cruising along, basking in the delight of fitful sleep for nearly a year. When your point of reference is one year of hell, everything else is roses. No matter how bad a day we have, I can always count on a 7:45pm bedtime. Usually the favorite time of day in our house.

I'd like to make it perfectly clear that Matt and Will have officially turned two. Apparently someone let them in on the "terrible two's" rite of passage, and they have been speeding down the checklist for the past 12 days.

- Excessive use of "NO!" Check!
- Public displays of disruption Check!
- Hitting, slapping, biting Check!
- Tantrums Check!
- Lots of quality time-outs Check!

Some highlights of the past 12 days...
Favorite quote- "Emma, NO!"
Will's favorite quote- "MA, NO!" translation "Matt, NO!"
Favorite place to yell at top of lungs- local restaurants
Newest recipient of slaps- Mama
Latest fear- caterpillars

I'm taking it all in stride but am fearing the next two years. A twin mom recently came up to Chris and I proclaiming, "I have some of those." She proceeded to tell us that when those twins were 3 years old she wanted to kill herself. Apparently I have a lot to look forward to.

Gimpy

Will's x-rays were clear last week, so I can't log the first broken bone milestone in the nonexistent baby book. He has begun to walk again but looks so pitiful. I'm just glad I don't have to carry him around everywhere. I picked up Matt a few times last week and whined, "why can't YOU have the injury?" The two pound weight difference is definitely noticeable when you have the heavier one attached to you for a week.

Lately Matt has become obsessed with an itty bitty mole on the fourth toe of his right foot. I pointed it out one night as I was trying to "redirect" his attention from flipping off the changing pad to staying still for a diaper. Worked like a charm. Now he'll point out the mole to me any chance he gets while saying "MOHHHH!"

They turn 2 in 10 days. The second year has flown by. That's a good thing considering the first year felt like an eternity

Beware of Books

Matt and Will have been loving their Dr. Suess books lately. They're not so much into reading them, but Matt especially likes to find the mouse on every page of "Green Eggs and Ham." He gets so excited everytime he sees it and says, "Ooh! Mah! Mah! Mah!" which loosely translates to "Look Mom there's a MOUSE! A MOUSE! Did you hear me, there's a MOUSE!" Yesterday we learned that he can pick out mice in other non-Suess books too. It kept him entertained for about 3 minutes during a 2 hour doctor's visit.
Will's most recent experience with books has been much more physical. Thursday night just before bath time, Will slipped on a pesky paperback and fell a harrowing six inches to the wood floor below. Yes, I saw that his leg was somewhat twisted. Yes, I saw that he couldn't get up. Yes, I heard his crying. But did I think it was anything to worry about? No. We bathed him, gave him Tylenol and put him to bed. He slept like a baby that sleeps through the night, and I figured he'd forget about his fall by morning.
Friday morning I discover that he cannot stand, crawl or walk. Chris takes him to the doctor and he gets x-rays that show there is nothing abnormal. But the doctor does discover that he has severe infections in both ears. Great!
All weekend I lugged him around from room to room. By Sunday he was crawling but still would not stand or walk. Monday we had a well-child visit and his dr. felt he should have been putting weight on the leg by then. So we did another set of x-rays and are patiently awaiting the results. We have two trains of thought on the whole is-it-broken-or-not situation. 1. Our child may have been crawling around with a broken leg for almost a week. That definitely is baby-book material! 2. How lame is it that Will's first broken bone may be the result of slipping on a book? This would be a much better story had it been the result of a flying leap off the top of the refrigerator.
The moral of the story. Books are dangerous. Kids should just watch TV.

Must be a boy thing

New 'Do

Matt and Will got some major haircuts a couple of weeks ago, and these are the "after" photos. Matt doesn't have as much hair as Will, so it tends to get a little crazy sometimes. This is what it looked like following a nap, and I just didn't have the heart to fix it. His hair kind of matches his personality sometimes.

Future Trash Talkers