Fashion Divas

The #1 most popular activity in our house is playing dress up. My kids clothes come off the second they walk in the door or wake up. They have a trunk full of princess dresses, ballet outfits, gymnastics gear - courtesy of Maema. They are most fond of their shoes. They have an extra large bin full of every shoe you can imagine. Tap shoes are popular and bright, sparkly shoes are also a hit. Also courtesy of Maema.

I have a deal with the girls. I pick their outfits, shoes and hair accessories when we leave the house and they pick their clothes, shoes and hair accessories when we are at the house.

Here is why:

Please note that Quinn is wearing a fur lined coat and it is 100 degrees outside.

Leotard, Cooking apron, black tap shoes with some Hello Kitty undies poking out:)

Kimono, head band and something lacy

This is a hot mess. I'm not sure what is going on here. I think they were having a fashion show with some friends.

This look isn't that bad but something tells me she had on some wild shoes!

Quarter of the way to driving - 4th birthday

"So when you drive and the years go passing by.

I hope you smile, if I ever cross your mind.

It was a pleasure of my life.

And I cherished every time.

And my whole world,

it begins and ends with you."

These lyrics from the Zac Brown Band kept me in tears on the girls birthday. I was driving home from work  and I was bawling like a baby. Of course I listened to it over and over again. And of course I cried harder and harder each time. I can't believe how fast the past 4 years have gone by and it makes me crazy sad to think about how fast the next 14 years will go by.

It is amazing how much your kids pick up on your emotional state. The night before their official birthday we were all sitting in their room getting ready for bed and we were discussing all the neat things that happened when they were 3 years old and all the cool things that will happen when they are 4. Hassie Clare said "Mommy, I'm sorry." Jamie and I looked at each other and I said "why are you sorry sweet girl." She said "I'm sorry for turning 4. I know that makes you sad." GOOD LORD ... what is wrong with me. So .... I changed my attitude to 100% positive ... but I was still weeping just a little bit on the inside.

And then something happened at their birthday party. I was watching them run around The Little Gym with all their friends, laughing, playing, acting like monkey's and then suddenly I became emotional again only it was with excitement about all the things we have to look forward to as they get older. Turning 4 years old has opened up a whole new window of opportunities for us as a family. Each year it will get easier and easier to travel with them and do adventurous things. Our options are endless. So ... I grieved the fact that their baby and toddler years are over and now I'm excited about moving on to the future. Plus both of the girls agreed that they would forever and always be my baby!

Enough of my emotional mumbo jumbo ....

On Friday, June 11, 2010 we woke the girls up just like we do every year with the video recorder in our hand and singing happy birthday. The girls woke up smiling and very excited. Sarah made them blueberry pancakes for breakfast - their favorite. Afterwards, the girls opened up the very special and thoughtful birthday presents from Sarah (she probably spent a week of pay on them).  Maema and Kevin (Maema's long time boyfriend) got into town around the same time I got off work. Of course her car was loaded down with presents (more on the presents for me and Jamie in another post).
The girls eagerly opened up all their presents from Maema and Kevin. She has a way of always knowing what they will like!

Coincidence .... I don't think so (look at TV in background)! Instead of Hassie she should have put DOROFEE as the name on the poncho towel!

The girls got to pick out where we ate dinner so of course we went to Mexican. The restaurant we went to was the first place we ever took the girls (Rancho Grande). The place is a few miles from our house and we eat there a little more then I'd like to admit. Aunt Karrie and Uncle Brent met us up there and we had a nice dinner.

The girls were not sure what to think about the whip cream in the face. Jamie and I held our breathe and waited for Quinn to explode. Much to our surprise ... she rolled with it and even smiled. It was a nervous smile but a smile none the less. I guess turning 4 will bring us all kinds of surprises!

We went home and crashed. We had to get lots of sleep for the nest day ... the party day. More details in another post I promise.

Diamonds and cars and gifts ... oh my

Here is a run down of all the gifts my mother in law (AKA Maema) gave us during the 3 days she was here last weekend:
1) She brought her work car (she retired in March) and gave it to Jamie as a past and future birthday present (we were suppose to buy it from her). His current work car is baked. No air, the driver side window won't go up, it smokes horribly and leaks oil. Jamie is totally pumped about his new wheels. On top of that, she gave him a used generator in the trunk. And we all know it is BS about the future birthday presents ... she always says that and always forgets!
2) She bought me a bunch of new work out clothes because she knows none of my clothes fit. She bought me larges .... God bless her. So very thoughtful and sweet of her. I have to take a few of them back but I love her anyway for thinking I could wear an L instead of an XL.
3) She loaded the girls up with all kinds of birthday presents. They love everything.
4) She bought the girls at least 3 or 4 pair of new shoes each and some new outfits.
4) Before they left town after a fun filled weekend, she treated us to IHOP. We had a huge, Delicious breakfast.
5) As we were pulling out of the parking lot and waving our goodbyes, she tossed something at Jamie and asked him to hand it to me. I opened the box up and it was a pair of REAL diamond ear rings. She picked them out as her 35 years of service with AT&T. She already has a pair she likes more and wanted me to have them. Who does that? Geeze. I haven't taken them off my ears in 3 days. I've never had a pair of real ones before! And I have a feeling Hassie Clare and Quinn will wear them someday proudly knowing they were their Maema's ear rings.

The woman absolutely blows me away with her generosity.  I can't get over how selfless and giving she is of anything and everything. Plain and simple ... she spoils us all rotten!  If she didn't pick out such good things for us we might make her stop but dang .... the woman's got good taste! Thank you Mae for being so thoughtful and making us feel so special.

Cake Baking with Sarah - Birthday week

Our ever so smart and talented nanny Sarah had the idea to bake cakes with the girls. She wanted to do something special with them in the days leading up to their birthday. Baking cakes is a passionate hobby of Sarahs and let me tell you .... her cakes are DELICIOUS!  She brought over all of her cake decorating and baking materials. The night before ... she made and rolled out the fondant. They made princess tiara cakes.  She went out of her way to make it a special day for the girls and I'm pretty sure they had a great time. And we all enjoyed nibbling on the cakes for a few days!

Quinn with her 2 favorite things in the world .... her BB and some cake!

This is Hassie Clare's "I'm already high on sugar" smile.

I've realized that not only is Sarah super sweet, ridiculously nice and a hard worker ... she is trying to sabotage my diet:)  

1st Dance Recital / Spring Show Case 2010

So this is the first year we have participated in any form of dance class. The girls have been taking ballet and tap for the past 6 months and last weekend they had their first big Show Case. I learned a few things preparing for this program:
1) I am not a stage mom nor do I enjoy the preparations involved. I could NEVER do pageants.
2) The little girls (2 and 3 year olds) only get seconds on the stage during an hour and half show.
3) Ice Cream bribery can get you good results on just about anything with Hassie Clare and Quinn.
4) Little girls of all ages are ridiculously cute in sparkling costumes, tutu's and all the glitz. It reminded me of why I love having little girls.
5) 16 dance classes (45 mins to an hour each), 1 rehearsal, 3 classes for the sister dance (45 mins each), shoes (tap and ballet), dance tights, uniforms, costumes, costume pics, show case tickets - for twin 3 year old girls = $968.00.

All in all, I'm so glad we did this. It was a learning experience, the girls enjoyed themselves and gained some confidence. I enjoyed watching them every week. I have decided that I will not sign the girls up unless they show an interest in wanting to continue dance class. We won't do it just to "do it."

Even though I'm a sports girl, I appreciate the art of dance. I realize all of the hard work and talent that is involved in various forms of dance. I took tap, gymnastics and baton when I was younger. I remember the last Christmas parade I was in ... twirling a baton down Stateline Road. It was freezing outside and I was miserable. All I could think about was getting out of the shiny, red, candy cane costume my mom made me wear and heading out to the softball field. I was soooo over the whole girly dance thing and thank God my mom agreed with me:)

Anyway, the girls looked ADORABLE in their little costume, with a little makeup on and their hair all fixed. I only planned on lip gloss and blush but they wanted more so I used mascara and eye shadow (NOT TO SELF - NEVER PUT MASCARA ON A 3 YEAR OLD). They felt like a princess and that is all that mattered.

I'm trying to figure out how to load a video onto the blog because the Sister Dance part of the show was priceless. Hassie Clare and Quinn were the youngest sisters out there and OMG .. they were adorable. Girls if you are reading this 20ish years from now and want to know what I'm talking about ... find the small DVD in the small clear case labeled 1st dance recital / show case 2010.  It takes my breathe away every time I watch it.

Since the showcase, the girls dance around everywhere singing songs and doing dance moves ... especially the Sister song. If they want to take dance again in the fall then I will definitely sign them back up. Maybe I secretly am a stage mom an I don't realize it yet??????

Outside the DeSoto County Civic Center

Mommy with daughters before the show.

The dance with all the other girls in the 3 year old class.

The Sister Dance

The Sister Dance

Hip bumpin

HC negotiating something with the little girl next to her during the final performance ... no it was not part of the routine.

3 generations. Nana and Paw Paw surprised the girls with flowers and little gifts after the show.

As promised, we chewed bubble gum, ate Mexican and went to Baskin Robbins for ice cream after the show to reward the girls for a job well done and to satisfy all those bribes.

Last day of toddlerhood :(

I can't believe today is the last day to have 3 year olds. The last day to be a mother of toddlers. After today I will be the mother of kids. Not babies. And this is freaking me out a bit. Maybe that is why I've been having baby fever?????

As I was showering this morning I was reflecting on this past year. All the challenges of having 3 year old twins is not what stuck out in my mind. The coolest, most rewarding thing in the world happened over this past year. Hassie Clare and Quinn told me they loved me. They tell me multiple times each day and they mean it! They feel it, they express it and they never hold back on expressing how much the love me. Wow ... talk about the most rewarding thing in the world!

Watching them grow out of their baby years and witnessing their personalities develop has also been absolutely amazing and I'm so thankful that I'm the one that got to guide them along with the help of my best friend.

So on this last day of toddlerhood, I am anxious for several different reasons. Mostly because we have been so freakin' blessed with health and happiness. Why are we the lucky ones? Will this luck run out? I calm these fears with the fact that no matter what the future may bring, we will deal with it with unconditional love as a family. And I will always treasure the past 4 years because they have simply been the best years of my life.

Hassie Clare = my buddy

This little girl has been melting my heart lately.  She has been so loving, sweet, compassionate and funny as all get out.  She makes me "deep belly" laugh at least once a day. As Quinnie says "She cracks me up."

As I have said before, she has such a unique soul. She is like no one I've ever known before. Getting to know her has been challenging but so much fun.

She is still so tiny and when she snuggles with you she curls up against your body where her entire body is pressed against you. It is the best feeling. I love snuggling with her. Or if I'm sitting in a chair she will curl up in my lap into a little ball. I love her touch, her smell (minus her morning breathe) and the way her little boney body feels. I feel like I can protect her from everything when she is curled into me.  If only that were true.

I feel so lucky to be her momma.

Way Back When-esday: Tub O' Watermelon

This is when their love affair with watermelon started!

When the girls were babies, we had a little blow up pool that I put them in for anything messy. It was my "all-purpose go to item" anytime I needed to keep them contained with something messy. I used it anywhere and everywhere. On this hot afternoon when they were 13 months old, I cut up watermelon and let them feed themselves. They LO V E D it! They ate almost an entire watermelon. Jamie and I sat back and laughed our hineys off at them. Quinn was so serious the entire time. Hassie Clare was curious and enjoyed the independence. I think I have video of it somewhere. Obviously Ruby helped herself to some watermelon too!

Another example of how we used our "all purpose" blow up pool:

14 months old, finger painting each other on the back deck.

3 minutes in my head on this boring Wed. afternoon

Life feels so heavy right now. So busy. I feel overwhelmed in so many areas of my life and that is out of character for me. I think it has something with me being a closet hoarder. To most, my house is always clean and tidy with little or no junk. If you look in my storage room, spare bedroom closet, under the sink in the master bathroom or in my closet you will learn my dirty little secret. I'm not sure how it happened but it is suddenly weighing on me like a ton of bricks.

Ohhh is that thunder? I love storms. Not life threatening, dangerous storms but afternoon rain with the occasional rumble. I find it very soothing and relaxing. It somehow takes the stress out of the air for me. It makes me feel all gooey and lovey dovey on the inside. I'd love to curl up in bed with Jamie and watch a scary movie. I always feel so safe in his arms.

My heart still hurts from spanking Quinn this morning. For the first time I had to spank with the purpose of making it sting. She has to learn that it is not okay to slug the new nanny for flushing her poo poo's (Quinn likes to do it herself). She has to learn that there will be consequences when she will not go to timeout or when she calls me a poo poo booty head. I hope that it was the right thing to do because we have tried everything else. But man o' man it hurt my heart. I never thought I would spank my 3 year old.

What in the world is this thing growing on my chin?

If I hear banging from the girl's room one more time while they are "suppose" to be taking a nap then I'm going to take away the special treat we were going to get at the gym tonight (Grape Smoothie ... we like to call it a Purple Cow Smoothie).

Ruby needs a bath and haircut. The rain makes her stink worse. And she has gas. Really bad, make you gag gas. I'm not sure what is going on with her stomach. Last night it sounded like cats fighting in her belly.

What do I have clean to wear to the gym tonight? I wear the same pair of workout pants almost every time I go to the gym because a) they don't ride up my booty b) they don't give me a spare tire look across my midriff and c) they are very comfy. Thank God my sister bought me 2 more pairs of these pants at the Nike outlet in her town. Hopefully she will bring them to me when they come in town for the girls birthday.

Oh gawd .... I better book The Little Gym for the girls birthday party. I pray they are not already booked up.

Yep ... no grape smoothie tonight.

Ahhh... the storm is getting stronger. So relaxing.  

Ruby "the stinky butt" Thurman

Theses are all old pics of Ruby. Evidentally we never take pics of her anymore now that we have kids:(

Fitty down

That's right folks. I'm down 50 pounds. By the grace of God ... I didn't gain any weight over this past weekend. Thank you metabolism. I pretty much ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I woke up Tuesday morning feeling bloated and sluggish. I think I'll limit my splurges to one night only and not spread them out over the course of the weekend!
As I get closer to by goal weight .... I realize that I need to lose much more. So my goal weight has changed. I'd like to lose another 53 pounds. I don't think that is a weight I can maintain even though it is a healthy weight. But I'd like to try it out.  I weigh now what I weighed in grad school. Even though my flab is distributed differently .. I'm starting to shape up. It's really cool watching my body transform. It would be even cooler if it would happen at a faster pace:)
I can no longer fit into any of my old clothes which means my wardrobe is VERY limited. I bought one pair of jeans ... a size 16 thank you very much. And one new suit for work ... a size 15. And I've bought some new work out clothes. I can't be looking like a slob at the gym! New panties were a must. Even my bras are too big. The rest will have to wait until I drop another size. Dresses are more forgiving so I can get away with still wearing them for work and church. It is actually very frustrating and not something I ever considered when starting this journey.
My time in the gym has been limited over the past week. That seems to make the biggest difference with my energy levels and how I feel. If I don't get at least an hour of sweat in a day ... I can tell a big difference.
Anyway .... another goal accomplished. My journey continues.

Blogging slump. Just stuff.

It's not so much of a slump but lack of time to blog. Work, paying bills, being a mother and wife all comes first and well .... there is just not enough hours in the day lately. We are settling in with our new nanny Sarah. She is a delightful young lady and the girls adore her. Our camera has been MIA for a few weeks (I think it is under our bed:) but as soon as I find it I will post some pics of her with the girls. We still miss Tay Tay. Hassie Clare asks about her every day. She wants both Tay Tay and Sarah to come play with her ... such a loyal soul. I think Quinnie is still mad. She never talks about Taylor or asks about her. The whole thing just makes her uncomfortable. One day she will explode and beg to see her. Thankfully ... she is crazy about Sarah.
We just enjoyed a few great days with my Dad and Glenda. Although they only see the girls a few times a year, it is obvious how much they love them.  The girls cling to Glenda (Hassie Clare thinks it is super cool that she has the same name as Glenda The Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz) and love on their Grandpa any chance they get. 
Their show case dance recital is coming up. They are also participating in a "sister dance" portion of the recital so we have been going to rehearsal on Tuesday nights. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.
I HAVE GOT to get the girls birthday party scheduled and planned. It is creeping up on me. They either want an Alice in Wonderland themed party or Wizard of Oz. They either want it at our house like we have every year or at JUMP or at The Little Gym. I've decided that letting 3 year olds make their own decisions is not a wise move. 
A few weeks ago I set aside some time to book a condo for all of us to go to the beach. Hassie Clare asks me every day how many days it is until we go to the beach with Maema and Nana. I decided to put those plans on hold until we know more about the horrendous oil spill that might destroy the gulf coast in Mississippi and Alabama. So sad. I hope by the time my girls read this they will say "What oil spill?" That will mean that it was not as catastrophic as we are anticipating.
Jamie is still working crazy hours but we have seen him a bit more this week. Last night he got home around 9. He emptied the dishwasher, cleaned up the play room, fixed himself dinner and tucked the girls into bed. Ohhh ... and he rubbed my back when we got into bed. I love my hard working man and I'm so thankful for him. But no amount of money can make up from his time away from us.
The girls had their last day of school in the 3 year old mother's day out program. I can't believe they will start pre-K next year. Freaks me out just thinking about it!
And since I don't have any new pictures to share, and it is Way Back When-seday .. here is an oldie but goodie. This was our first photo shoot. They girls had turned one the day before. Jamie and I were attempting to get Hassie Clare to smile when the photographer snapped this pic.

Way-Back Wendesday: 7 months old

This is the first picture I have of both girls smiling at the same time. If I recall correctly, the physical therapist had just left our house and she had worked on tummy time and encouraging their arms and hands to prop themselves up. Although Hassie Clare was the only one in PT, Quinn always followed suit. I remember how beautiful I thought they were on this day. They are laying on a blanket made by our beloved Aunt Barbie.

This picture makes me all warm and fuzzy every time I look at it. Things started getting easier for me as a mom of twins around this time. I started relaxing a little more and just enjoying them. I started to realize how much fun it was being a mom. When I look at these pictures, this is what I think of.

Hassie Clare

Quinnie Ray

Survival

Juggling work, kids, sick kids, house work, laundry, household shopping, pets, dance, school, contractors/painters, doctor appointments, no child care, etc. and being a single parent for the past month has been challenging. Jamie has been swamped at work and pulling crazy hours - not by choice. I only saw him in the wee hours of the night for a week straight. On top of all that, our beloved nanny's last day was 2 weeks ago. Even though she was only working a couple days a week, she is missed greatly!
Needless to say, I have not been bringing my A game to the table. I've had days when I lay in bed at night filled with regret because I'm taking my frustrations out on my girls. When I'm stressed, I expect them to act perfect, be responsible and do everything that I ask. They are 3 years old for Pete's sake. I've suddenly become a "yeller." I hate that about myself.
Without the help of my mother and mother-in-law, I think I would have seriously lost it at some point in the past month. My mom and Fred keep my girls anytime and every time I ask. When I don't ask, they beg to see them. They arrange their lives around helping us.
My mother-in-law lives 5 hours away and does not hesitate to drop everything and come down to help us. In fact, she just left yesterday after being here for 5 days. Although we don't always show how appreciative we are in everything she does for us, I promise it means the world to us all. Hopefully someday we can make it up to her by spoiling her as much as she does us.
The love and support our mother's give us is irreplaceable. Although Hassie Clare and Quinn have no idea how much their Grandmother's sacrifice for them, they feel the unconditional love. Even my step-mother Glenda that lives 10 hours away has offered to help us out if we ever need it. We are so lucky. And so blessed.

Before Maema left town, she assisted me in taking the girls to dance class and the dentist. Thanks again for all your help Maema .... and for that fabulous Japanese dinner you treated us to the other night. I'm still thinking about how delicious the food tasted:)

III Mother's Day Weekend

We had a nice relaxing weekend at home with Maema (Jamie's momma). She came into town to spend time with us and help with the girls while we worked (new nanny starts Wed.). Saturday we ventured out to the flea market, The Big One, only to find that it is the third weekend of the month (not the second) and that it had moved across town. Jamie dropped the ball on that one.
Since we were in the area we decided to make an impromptu trip to the Children's Museum. As always, we had a great time.

They had a neat bug exhibit going on at the museum. They even had a bug chef that provided samples of various bug delights. Hassie Clare ate several chocolate covered crickets, fried crickets and some kind of crunchy worm. And she begged for more. Quinn would not even look at bug food or any of the bugs for that matter. YUCK!

After a few hours at the museum we decided to have an early dinner. While in the car discussing what we wanted, Hassie Clare shouted our Japanese. We all looked at each other and decided that sounded perfect!

And boy was it ever ..... we all ate until we were full as ticks. Hassie Clare ate more then she has ever eaten in her life. I still can't believe how much shrimp that little girl put away - maybe the cricket food stimulated her appetite.

Sunday morning was delightful. I slept in with the occasional snuggle bunny curled up next to me. Breakfast in bed. Blueberry pancakes - my favorite. Jamie has perfected them. Hassie Clare and Quinn gave Maema the painted plates with their hand prints on them .... she loved them! Eventually I got up and we headed out for a little shopping. We went to Edible Arrangements to get Maema a fruit arrangement and then to Sam's to get me a couple new bar stools.  We also picked up a cheesecake along the way for dessert at my mom's house. We had an hour or so to kill so we stopped in at a sports bar by our house. They have an outdoor patio and pretty good food. They also had a little 2-man band playing on the patio. The weather was perfect and we had a great time. We ended the day at my mom's house, sitting out back watching all the kids play and catching up with each other while eating fruit and cheesecake.

Notice my entire weekend revolved around food?  Needless to say, I will be hitting it hard in the gym this week and counting every calorie I put in my mouth.  

9 years. cancer free. today.

It all started with her. My oncologist, Dr. Linda Smiley. I strongly feel that without her special skills, there would be no Hassie Clare and Quinn.  9 years ago today was one of the worst days of my life and one of the best days of my life.  My experience with this ugly disease does not define me. The 'C' word never even enters my mind except every 6 months when it's time for a trip to the cancer clinic.  Caner turned my world upside down but the overall effects have been minimal. For that and for Dr. Smiley, I am eternally thankful.

PS - Please take note of the beautiful lady in the white shirt sitting in the background. She NEVER misses one of my appointments.  She goes with me and holds my hand and tells me how much she loves me.... even when I'm grouchy (I get that way when I'm nervous).  Somehow, she makes my checkups fun. She is my best friend and my mom.

For the love of food.

My kids love food. Especially Quinn. Hassie Clare appreciates food and enjoys it more than the average kid

but she does not share the "extreme" love for food like her sister. They enjoy food like they enjoy swimming or riding a bike.

We go to a ton of birthday parties. My kids are ALWAYS the last kids at the table eating. Always. Not because they eat slow but because they want to make sure they don't miss a bite. It doesn't even matter what birthday party activities they are missing out on as long as they are eating.  I find this hilarious. After the 3rd or 4th party this year some of the parents started commenting on how well behaved my kids are at the table and how they sit so nicely and clean their plates every time.  They asked me "what is your secret?" As much as I wanted to say, "Yes, we work on manners at home and how important they are"  but I could not lie. The love of food is in their genetic makeup. And the fear of me taking away their food if they don't mind their manners is what keeps them in check.

Take note of all the place setting. The rest of kids took a few bites of everything and headed into the indoor play area.

Hassie Clare (Dorothy) and Quinnie Ray (Snow White)