Everything I learned, I learned from my mommy!

Darren jokingly says, "Lilah's learned ONE thing and ONE thing ONLY from you... How to talk on the phone!" After viewing these pictures, I am not sure he's joking. I think he's right. This isn't anything I am proud of, but I do find these photos insanely adorable. I just pray this isn't something I will face in her teen years.

Lilah and Jaxon's favorite thing to do is to accidentally call Aaron Fernandez. Poor guy is the first person in my cell phone's address book, so he gets called at least 2 times a day. Sorry Aaron. Lately, they call Mattie and leave her voicemails (because she screens her calls) and they leave her messages because they now know how to say her name. I think the voicemail basically includes.... "Hi Mattie. Hi. Mattie. Mattie. Hi Mattie. Bye-Bye."

I loved all of the pictures and couldn't choose ONE to post, so I posted them all. Enjoy!

"Hi Mattie. You there?"

"Oh really?"

Double Fisting!

Lilah falling... "Oh no! My phones!"

Fulfilling Our Traditions.... With Only 2 Days Left To Go!

The countdown continues to complete our long list of family Christmas traditions. Last Saturday, we headed to the mall at 2:45 pm. It normally takes us about 14 minutes to get from our home to the mall and to park. The mall traffic was so bad that it took us 14 minutes to get to the mall exit and 40 minutes to get from the mall exit to the parking. We decided to do things a little backwards. We ate dinner while people shopped (at 3:45 pm) and we shopped when people normally eat dinner. We grabbed a table at Red Robin without waiting however, arriving to the mall at 5:00 pm didn't seem to help the mall crowds. We were able to let the kids ride the train, but visiting with Santa was NOT an option. The line was out the door.

Jaxon, Lilah and Ty waiting for the train to depart.

The train goes around in a circle.

All the kids get to view the gorgeous Christmas setup.

As you can see... Lilah was not a huge fan this time around.

Let the holiday celebrations begin....

Christmas Party at the Salem Library....

Lilah and Jaxon had a very nice Christmas party with all of their story time friends last Tuesday. It's bitter-sweet to see this session of story time end. Bitter because we will miss having something to do as well as getting to see our library friends, but sweet because we can stay home in our pjs if we desire. Ms. Harold was very kind to all of the children. She gave them all a small gift before they left. Lilah a stuffed penguin and Jax a stuffed shark.

The next session of story time starts after winter break! Until January...

Why do I bother cooking dinner?

Oh...... the days when eating dinner at home was so enjoyable. I loved having dinner on the table at 5:15 pm on the dot for my husband. Adding 3 children to my agenda has cramped that schedule/routine lately. When I do cook, surprisingly, I am able to have dinner ready on time, but WHEN do I cook?

I will admit, dinner lately, is not one of my BEST performances. It's not that I don't know how to cook or don't want to cook. I love to cook and what I do cook, I think I cook well. There are a few things that stand in my way of being successful at cooking dinner...

1. Time

2. Energy

3. FOOD

4. CHILDREN WILLING TO EAT WHAT I AM SERVING

We eat out A LOT. The good news is, wherever we eat, our kids tend to eat free. Mondays, kids eat free at McCalisters. Tuesdays, kids eat free at Zaxby's. Wednesdays we go to Quiznos (kids eat free everyday there). Fridays, kids eat free at IHOP. Saturdays, kids eat free at Tokyo Express. Sundays kids eat free at TGIF. We don't go to these places all the time, but as you can see, we can go out to eat a lot without having to pay for a family of 5.

What's the point, you ask? View two video clips of Jax last night at dinner. I made a homemade meatloaf, homemade mac & cheese, and a green bean casserole. Sounds yummy right? Needless to say, JAX DID NOT LIKE ANY OF IT. Why do I cook? This is what I ask myself. It's just easier to go out to eat. Actually, Darren prefers to go out because he likes to leave the mess/clean up behind. It adds LOADS of time to our nightlife.

Anyway, this video clip is fairly funny to watch and witness, but when this happens most nights, it's anything BUT funny.

*Video 1: Jax refuses to eat his dinner.

*Video 2: Jax throws a temper tantrum because he's hungry, but refuses to eat what I am serving.

Lilah and Jaxon's FIRST Halloween Party

Yesterday, Lilah and Jax had their very first Halloween party. They've been attending story time at the Salem Library on Tuesdays. Ms. Harold wanted to have a little celebration, so each of us signed up to bring something. We were responsible for rice krispy treats. Fortunately/unfortunately, big brother was home sick with a belly ache (no diarrhea), so he was able to join us and see exactly what Lilah and Jax do at story time. I felt so bad he was sick, but I was BUMMED because I was striving for perfect attendance from kindergarten - 12th grade and now that's SHOT! LOL!

We had a nice time at the party with friends.

Potty Training Update

"Uh-Oh!"

A few months back, we decided to start introducing the potty to Lilah and Jaxon. For the first few weeks, Lilah cried as soon as I put her on the potty. She also cried throughout the entire duration of being on the potty. After several weeks of practice, Lilah is no longer fearful and sits there for a while as I read or sing to her. Jax has never really seemed to care nor was he phased. Jax has peed twice on the potty, but Lilah has yet to perform. I'm not pushing it and being ocd about it, but Darren and I's goal is to have them potty trained by their second birthday (March 25th). We shall see. It's not too far off from Tyson's potty training age (27 months old).

Darren and I are in a small group with 6 other couples from our Church. Our small group gets together every other Friday. The kids are cared for by pre-arranged childcare that we all chip in and pay for. Our small group discusses the sermons from the week before and we try to apply it to our daily lives. They all give me a really hard time because inevitably, I always have a "poop" story. How does that relate to God and to the sermons? Somehow, it always is very applicable. HONESTLY. Okay, well in my eyes it is.

Enjoy a potty training update. I will let the pictures do the talking. I will just include this footnote... This is what happens when I let Jax run around without his diaper on.

I have tried using self-control lately at small group. This story has yet to be applicable or shared

with my family in Christ.

Oh the joys of parenting!!!!

Tyson got peed on by Jax!

I was unloading groceries and all the sudden Ty screamed, "AHHHH! Jax peed on me!"

Needless to say, it wasn't funny to him! It was to me though.

Fun With Miss Mattie!

Since September, we have been using Mattie to watch the twins on Wednesdays from 8:45 am - 12:45 pm. Normally, I use this time to run errands, do laundry, run to the grocery store or selfishly just have "ME" time. Mattie has been a wonderful addition to this household and to the twins' lives. I describe Mattie as a God loving, quiet, sweet, and loving friend who goes out of her way to find fun activities to do with Lilah and Jaxon. Mattie is unique in that she is totally hands on. This isn't just a job to her where she comes and sits and stares at the kids or text messages her boyfriend the entire time she's here. She comes because she values her job, thinks "it's fun" and she seems to enjoy her time here. I am grateful that God has given her to us for this season. Her help serves two purposes: 1. It helps our household out and 2. This job is great practice for the day she becomes a mother.

A few weeks back, Mattie texted me from my house (I was doing laundry upstairs). It read, "Come look!" As I approached the main floor I wasn't sure what I would find. BOY IS SHE BRAVE. She took the twins in the garage and decided to let them finger paint. Lilah had more of a blast painting herself than the paper.

Mattie, we love you! It brings me joy to see the twins reaction when you walk in the door. Thank you for spending valued time with Lilah and Jaxon. And most of all, thank you for doing those fun things that I just don't have the time for like I did when it was just Tyson and I.

Lilah Tidbits

Oh my Lilah girl! How I love thee. Over the last few weeks, I took out my older digital camera that has the ability to capture videos and took some sweet tidbits of my Liley-Bo.

Clip 1: Lilah's newest and most favorite thing to do is clean. She's rubbing off on Jaxey too!

Clip 2: Belly laughs from Lilah

Clip 3: Belly laughs from Lilah

Clip 4: Lilah cleans

Clip 5: Peek-a-boo with Lilah and Jaxon

Clip 6: Lilah sings the theme song from Dora, "Back pack, back pack!" She's never ONCE seen the show. I was singing it one day and she completely copied me. What's even funnier is when she wipes her own face in this clip. Watch how abrupt she is. LOL!

Pictures are wonderful, but video clips capture those moments your mind, for some reason, doesn't allow you to recall or hold on to.

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Don't Worry!

Shy Face! Displays it often. It's pitiful.

Be Happy!

A Visit With Nana

Today, Lilah, Jaxon, and I packed up the car to visit with Great Grandma Nana "aka" Darren's Grandmother. Being I have been with Darren since I've been 15 1/2, I've always felt as if she was my grandmother too. She's always treated me with love and kindness and certainly has been good to us during those gift giving times of the year. Nana lives in Roanoke. It's just a hop, skip and a jump from our home. Unfortunately, we do not visit with her often. My hope, after today, is that we try to make it over to her home more frequently, especially now that I know it's manageable with the twins.

Nana, who is 89, still maintains her career at Bolling Steel Company as one of the secretaries and the only "treasurer". She is proud to be titled that way. She has been faithful and loyal to the company for over 25+ years. To her disappointment, she has been out of commission due to a bug bite to her foot, which is ultimately debilitating her. As an elderly woman, who has a hard time getting around due to this bite, she has had to take a leave of absence. Nana enjoys going to work everyday and not being able to work has caused a little loneliness and depression, although she would never admit it. So, I felt it would be a nice treat for Lilah, Jaxon, and I to visit with her.

When we first got there, Lilah and Jaxon were shy. You can definitely tell Nana has much experience as well as wisdom. She knew to walk away and let me introduce the twins to her home and it's surroundings without her standing there intimidating them. After all, her face is not a familiar one. Before long, Lilah and Jaxon strutted their stuff around her home and made themselves quite comfortable.

When the nurse arrived to change Nana's foot dressing, we stepped outside for a little fresh air and outdoor play. When re-entered, I began unpacking their lunch and assembling their booster seats. Lilah and Jaxon were so well behaved. Virtually no food was thrown on the floor and they showed Nana much love.

It was time to leave. After we loaded up the car, we went back inside to say our goodbyes to Nana. You could tell that Nana was sad to see us go. She had tears in her eyes. We promised we'd be back again soon. Lilah refused a traditional kiss, but allowed Nana to kiss her hands all over. Lilah thought it was so funny and giggled a lot. Jax was so jealous of the attention Lilah was getting and reached up for me to hold him. When I picked him up, Jax leaned into Nana and kissed her on the lips. I was shocked because Jax, over all of our children, is the most shy and skittish. I could tell Lilah and Jaxon really enjoyed their time with Nana.

God has put restrictions on our involvement with the Bolling side of the family. We do not know if this "hold" is permanent or temporary. It's been an adjustment and it's been nerve wracking at times, but ultimately we know that God is sovereign over everything. We accept this change in our lives and have embraced it with gratitude. If it is God's will for the family to mend it's broken wounds great. If the wounds are never mended, we are okay with that too. God has blessed us with great gifts (Himself, each other, our children, other family and our family in Christ) and we do not feel we are lacking. We owe that all to HIM ABOVE.

Until next time Nana.... (We promise. There will be a next time.)

PS. Because Ty was unable to visit, he allowed me to give the puppet that he made in Kindergarten to Nana. I know it made her feel special.

Mommy Hair!

Yesterday, I gave Lilah pigtails. Before she went to bed I took the rubber bands out of her hair so that she could sleep comfortably. The next morning, she woke up with BIG hair like mommy. We were so amazed at how much she looked like either a little puerto rican girl and/or looked like me, if not now, then when I was a little girl.

I never appreciated my hair and used to say, "I wouldn't wish my hair on my worst enemy.", but it's something I've just accepted and grown to love in the best way I can. Now that I have a daughter though, I am so glad she has a ton of hair. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. I look forward to french braiding it and doing all kinds of girly things to her hair as she continues to get more of it.

Lilah and Jaxon's 1st Playdate

On Thursday, Lisa Fernandez had a few girls over for a playdate with our kiddies. It was a beautiful day spent in her backyard between 10:00 am - 1:00 pm. We spent three hours outdoors playing with all the luxuries that Lisa provided to us in her backyard: ball bit, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, swing set, a real old fashioned seesaw, a sprinkler, and a baby pool. Each mommy packed a yummy lunch too and we all had a picnic. It was a little tough getting into any type of deep conversation, but it was still nice to spend time with adult women while our kids ran loose in her backyard. This was Lilah and Jaxon's 1st playdate since they've been born. Hard to believe, but I guess normally we do everything FOR brother. Tyson was the one to tag along this time. I think he missed having children his own age there. :) But on the way home, I made certain to tell him, "It's not always about you!"

I wasn't even in the van for 5 minutes and Lilah and Jaxon were out cold. A special thanks to Lisa, Vivian and Kate for sharing their beautiful backyard with us.