Kudos to Target, for I was VERY surprised to see this sign…

…hanging at the check out area – along the entire width of the store.

For those with poor eyesight tired eyes, it says “Merry Christmas”. 

…to see the wizard.  And we probably won’t be back to blogging until after Thanksgiving.

YIKERS!

The girls are performing in Haven Academy’s production of The Wizard of Oz.  I’ve got munchkins, and flying monkeys, and poppies, oh my.  In the midst of this tornado that lands this weekend, hubby has been studying hard for his comprehensive exams which will put him one step closer to his PHD.  Judah and I have been pretty lonely with everyone gone rehearsing or studying.  It’s been nice in a way, but we still miss everyone too.  And if that isn’t enough, Esther celebrates her birthday on the 24th, so we’re having her little family shin dig Sunday – after the play comes to a close and before we prepare for Thanksgiving.  WHEW!  I’m tired just thinking about it all.

So, if I can get to this sad little blog, I will.  At least to post photos of all of the activity going on. 

Speaking of activity…

this boy has been quite active.  We’re on our third round of antibiotics – a different one finally.  We’re not sure if the original ear infection ever went away, or if this is a new infection all together.  Regardless, doc said to expect a snot fest through February.  SUPER!  Sounds like fun to me.

Here is a short video to entertain you as he does me…

And last buy not least – it’s here!

In my proud and excited fingers.  My friend, Jen Ludwig, has a new Christmas CD.  You can download/buy it at itunes or cdbaby.  You’ll enjoy it!

Halloween is over and the Christmas music is playing…

in the stores, on the “Sounds of the Season” channel, and here…

This is my friend, Jen Ludwig.  She also happens to have written and recorded a Christmas CD.  I’m so excited to have it in my grubby little fingers soon.  She has begun a website where you can read of her inspiration, and even sample the songs – jenludwig.com, and you can purchase the music at cdbaby.com.  You really should!

Trying not to get away from Halloween too quickly… here are some pictures. 

Halloween 2009

I took Judah to the pumpkin patch yesterday.  I was feeling like a bad mommy for not getting there earlier.  I almost missed it last year as well.  Still feeling bad for not being able to take the whole family, but life happens.  Trying to get over it.    The girls all asked for souveniers from the pumpkin patch, so of course I bought them each a little pumpkin.  SUCKER!

My sister and mom were able to come with me, which was fun, considering daddy was at work and sissies were at school.  He loved the choo-choo, the petting zoo, and the carousel.  He even rode a pony, although it was way past naptime.  He looked like he could’ve fallen asleep on that little stroll. 

Here are some pictures of my boy…

Judah pumpkin patch 09

UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: Dog also vomited on the carpet this morning, and son removed diaper and pooped on the very same carpet.  Time for new carpet.  GEESH!

UPDATE: – I now have one more child vomiting – geesh!

ORIGINAL POST:

I’ve had quite a few “geesh” moments…

Dodgers failed me – geesh.

Sissy came into town last weekend and so I got to see my baby girl, but only for a teeny bit – geesh.

Fall keeps teasing us out here in California – geesh.

Left for our woman’s retreat on Friday, and was surprised by my bestie – geesh!  (I shook for about 2 hours!)

Not even 10 hours into our visit, and about 5 hours into the weekend retreat, the toilet became my new best friend – geesh!

The toilet was my friend all night – geesh.

Saturday morning, I hear from the hubby that two of our children had the same night I had – geesh.

I face the facts, and go home.  Early from the retreat, and away from my bestie – GEESH!

My Mema is in the hospital – geesh!

Halloween is Saturday, and I’m still not ready – geesh!

Where has October gone? – geesh!

I haven’t blogged in 17 days – geesh!

Here are some pictures – geesh!

More of Mallory – (click for an album of photos)

More Mallory 10/09

Sarah’s First Field Trip (click to see the album of photos)

Sarah’s Fire Station Fun

If Sarah saw this, she’d probably ask to be “it” for Halloween.

My sweet little runt of a five-year-old currently has an infatuation with wrestling.  Don’t ask me where she got it, because I couldn’t answer that.  We don’t watch wrestling in our home, and I seriously doubt any of our babysitters do either (although that question may need to be raised). 

I have already shared this story with many of you in person, but for my blog readers, let me entertain you…

We were sitting enjoying Golden Spoon frozen yogurt on my husband’s birthday.  As we all ate with our golden spoons, Esther asked, “I wonder what Judah will be when he grows up?  Will he be a pastor like his daddy? Or maybe a house person like his mommy?”  We all sat kind of smiling, thinking, and still licking those golden spoons to death when Sarah pipes up and in all seriousness says, “Or he could be a wrestler like me.”

I’m sorry?  A wrestler?  Did she even know that “girls” wrestle?  And since that moment, there have been many conversations regarding wrestling.  For example:

Sarah – “Do you have to kiss at your wedding?”

Mom – “Well, usually you kiss your husband at the end, yes.”

Sarah – “Awww, come on!”

Mom – “Well you kind of want to kiss him.”

Sarah – “Well, then maybe I won’t get married.”

Mom – “Well, if you want to have children, usually, you need to get married to do that.  Because that’s how God wants us to do it.  He wants us to get married, and then have our children.  And we want to do it like God wants us to, because we want to live to glorify God.  We want to do what makes God happy.”

LONG PAUSE

Sarah – “Do you think God wants me to be a wrestler?”

LONG PAUSE

Sarah – “Because it’s something that I’m good at.”

That kid keeps me guessin’.    How I love her!

So if you didn’t already know, I’m a twin.

That’s me on the left.

I was a surprise.  Back ‘then’ they didn’t do routine ultrasounds, so they didn’t know my mom was having twins until my sister was already born.  As the doctor was checking things out he broke my water bag and life changed very quickly for my parents.

When people find out I’m a twin I get the common question that probably every twin gets, “Do you have that “twin” thing?   A 6th sense?  Can you read eachother’s minds?”  I wouldn’t go so far as to say we have any of these, but I think my sister and I would both agree we get “twinges”.  Many of these things are coincidences.  Probably just something that happens when you live so closely with someone for so long.  (We shared a room until we were 18 years old.)  Some examples – dreaming about the same thing or de ja vu situations.  Lots of times I might be home singing a song in my head and Amanda would walk in the door singing the same song.  Again, coincidences.  But we have a few eerie twinges to speak of as well.

I was having some discomfort that was unexplained, and my sister ended up having emergency gall bladder surgery.  The next day my back hurt so bad.  I called my mom who was at the hospital with my sister and asked, “Okay, does Amanda’s back hurt?”  She surprisingly answered, “Yes!”, and we realized then we had a little bit of sympathy pain goin’ on.  So, this summer, as we were awaiting little Mallory to be born, the question of whether or not I’d have sympathy pains again was raised.  I sure hoped not.

As we waited in the waiting room with family, we kept guessing what was happening ‘now’.  “I wonder if she’s born yet?”  At one point, an overwhelming flood of emotion hit me and I had a lump in my throat.  (You know the kind that come when you try not to cry.)  I looked at the clock in the waiting room and said, “I’m gonna say she must be being born right now, because I can feel Amanda’s emotion.”  It was just a few seconds before 11:42a.m.  Guess what time Mallory was born?  Yep, 11:42a.m.  I got the chills when Andy told us.  Later, when my mom and I were talking about how weird that was, she said, “You should’ve seen what your sister was wearing today.”

Our shirts ended up being extremely similar.  Just like we were dressed as little girls.  Same style, different color.

CRAZY!

Coincidences or Twinges?

Okay, so I lied.

About this last year…

Maybe it’s my age.  Or my math skills.  Or my age.

I am getting older you know.

One whole year older, today.

Golly gee.

So is she.

Not the baby – my twin sissy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, A baby! (She was born first so she was A-baby and I was B-baby.  Sweet, huh?)

And now to my lie.  Will you please forgive me for saying that my blog was 3 years old last year?  It really wasn’t.  It was “born” in 2006, which should make it 3 years old today.  I think.  Unless my age or math skills are really screwing with me.  YIKERS!

So, happy birthday, blog.

3 years,

1095 days,

26,280 hours,

1,576,800 minutes,

94,608,000 seconds of the craziness of my life, which has been mostly shared with the handful of you who read.    Thanks!

I got home from Oklahoma just in time for Labor Day weekend.  My sister, brother-in-law, and new niece, Mallory were all down from Sacramento and I got me some good baby time – finally!  On Labor Day we did some swimming, and eating, and visiting, and Tuesday, we geared up for our next surprise.  We were already planning on visiting Disneyland on Wednesday for Brandon’s birthday, so you can imagine the confusion when we told the girls we were going to Disneyland on Tuesday.  We entered in through the Grand Californian hotel entrance and told the girls we were just parking somewhere different this time.  They know you can get into the California Adventure park through this hotel so that didn’t seem to phase them.  But when Brandon told them we should go check out our room, their jaws dropped.  Then the uncontrollable giggles and rapid conversation that comes with surprises overflowed from the three little girls’ mouths, and everyone was smiling.  (Of course I didn’t get any photos of the moment – boo.)

I stayed behind while Judah napped and the girls went with Brandon into the park for some rides that Judah can’t ride on.  It was so nice.  We went into Disneyland and did a few things before heading over to Rainforest Cafe for dinner.  The kids loved it, but the best part was watching Esther wander into a room full of books about animals.  She says she’d like to be an animal scientist when she grows up, so she had entered her “heaven”.  After dinner we had a late night swim, and then went to bed.  More surprises – Sarah threw up in the night.  Those kind of surprises are bad.  This tiny little girl who ate all of her dinner, proceeded to get a king sized churro.  I’m not just calling it that, that is the name it was given at the churro stand in Downtown Disney.  She continued to try and shove this large twisted cinnamon concoction down her throat, and never did finish it.  Her tummy just could not make any more room for it.  Poor thing.

The next morning we had more surprises. Good ones this time.  It was 09-09-09, and Brandon’s birthday.  We met up with some Disney cast members that we happen to know ;- ), and the girls got to press the button which officially opens the park for the day.  We got to be on the ‘other side’ of the rope.  Judah had a blast running through the streets and dancing, as all of the people behind the rope enjoyed his entertainment.  After opening the park, Lisa (the sweetest security ever) escorted us over to her husband Gavin, who is the head of the Haunted Mansion.  He gave us a bit of a behind-the-scenes type of tour.  Very cool!  With most schools starting that day, it felt like we almost had the park to ourselves – almost.  Judah warmed up to many of the characters this time – especially Pooh and Tigger.  You’ll notice his attraction in the photos – and they played it up right back with lots of high fives and the kissy sound they’re so good at.  We left mid-afternoon, stopped at San Sai for dinner, and then went home to get ready for the first day of school.    Definitely surprises the girls will remember forever!  I love it.

Labor Day, Disneyland, Mallory 9/09