Valentines at the Botanical Gardens

I seem to regularly post two items in two days, then wait three weeks before updating again (below this post is the kiddos recent trip to the Aquarium)! Duane purchased tickets to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens "Valentine's in the Garden" for Valentin'es Day.

They allow for evening tours of the Fuqua Orchid Center, lit by candle votives. They offer a champagne bar, and cater the event with gourmet chocolate confections. Its the perfect ambiance for romance- especially when "Aunt Aneena" is willing to babysit.

I have to say, this even wasn't nearly as nice as it was two years ago, but we still had a lovely time. The main thing that seemed to make the event less elegant than before was the addition of a bar room and live music. Previously there had been a champagne bar, but it was a small station within the commons area of the orchid gardens, and a very small affair. This year, the bar area was huge, with a dance floor and everything. This led to inebriated individuals wondering around the orchid gardens.

Duane has been quoting the best one the last few days- a drunken women of around 65. Here are our favorites (all of which were heavily slurred):

"This is the best time of my life!"

"Whats your name? I haven't worked in 11 months!"

"Don't forget my purse!" (to her very embarrassed and sober lackey- ahem, I mean DATE).

She was comical to the extreme, and had there been a tabletop, I feel sure she would of danced upon it until she tumbled to her stone path and orchid petaled doom.




















One of the volunteers for hosting the event took this picture of Duane and I together.


I got a haircut! Two back to back twin pregnancies ruined my hair, and its taken me TWO YEARS to grow the damage out! So, now I am sporting a new hairdo, and I LOVE it. The hairdresser also added a "high gloss laminate" to my hair afterwards, and my hair feels as silky as Tilly's!

Aquarium

Yesterday, Duane took the day off of work for Valentine's Day, and for the kids Valentine's treat, we went to the Georgia Aquarium.



There was all sorts of interesting fishies to see, and Duane and I enjoyed it, too.



At first we only let Lucas and Tilly out of their strollers, and we pushed Ewan and Rowan around in their twin stroller. Lucas and Tilly had so much fun looking at the tanks of fish, and walking through the little tunnels and passages they have for their smaller tourists.




As you can see, Ewan enjoys being pushed around in a stroller, although Rowan doesn't look quite as happy.



Here is a picture of Lucas and Tilly watching the scuba divers clean and care for the larger fish (you can't see the divers in this shot).



Lucas really thought the tunnel with the mechanical walkway was fun. He stared upward the entire time, while Tilly watched her feet move by automation.



In the Ocean view theatre room, we let Ewan and Rowan run free. You can see that Rowan was finally happy. It gave Ewan vertigo and he plunged onto Duane's lap and cried until he was returned to his stroller.



They have a slide that is shaped like a whale there, too. Matilda really enjoyed this, although they had to take an elevator to get back to the top, and so I was on one floor going up and down in the elevator, and Duane was with Ewan and Rowan at the bottom of the slide, to escort Lucas and Tilly back to the elevator.



Lucas took his .48 cent car from Target everywhere he went, including down the slide.



Afterwards, we all went to the mall. Being that we knew the next day was Valentine's Day, we needed to pick up a couple of gifts. Some were from Godiva (oh-my-gosh their Dark Chocolate Raspberry" drink is soooooo heavenly). Not to be left out, all the twins asked for some "chocolate" and so I bought ONE dark chocolate raspberry bar and let each of them have one fourth of it. We didn't have wipes in the stroller (I had to change four diapers in the parking lot and left the wipes there), so this is what the little twins looked like to the casual mall shopper passing by.

This might pass for an early Halloween picture.



Rowan was definitely the worst of the two. He really loves chocolate.



Ewan would not be outdone.




They all had a big day, and Rowan fell asleep as he was being put into his car seat (do not worry, his face and hands were scrubbed when he was put in his pj's at home).



Christmas pictures:

Lucas with his megablock cars.



It was laundry day- Ewan and Rowan had to wear Tilly's old pajama's.



The boys Christmas.


Rowan looking curious about Santa.


Tilly in her snowwhite shoes



Tilly in her showwhite outfit.


Ewan and Rowan:



Lucas with his bulldozer:



Lucas in the showwhite crown:



Ewan and Rowan:

Musings

My second post today, because if I don't do it, it might not happen! So this is just random musings about the kids.

1. Lucas has been guarding the "Winnie the Pooh" ride on car since Saturday. I discovered why last night. He stuffed his french toast inside of it and is guarding the pieces.

2. All the kids have now learned how to "fake belch" and Duane and I are treated to a chorus of "bleep" and "eeeh" every meal, followed by "scuse me". Sometimes Rowan gets lazy and just growls when its his turn to belch.

3. After I put Ewan and Rowan down for their morning nap, Lucas, Tilly and I play a game of "Candyland Castle". Its a little plastic castle that has a level which dispenses plastic shapes that you try and match to the spaces on your gingerbread man board piece. Matilda finds the suspense almost unbearable as she awaits her turn, and often runs around the room in circles screaming and waving her hands over he head, then collapses onto her pieces. I can't quite see that this is enjoyable, but she asks to play the game several times a day.

4. I think Rowan looks like Brian Boitano sometimes. Not the current Brian Boitano, but this one . Duane doesn't think this is funny.

5. Duane, who doesn't appreciate Brian Boitano humor, refers to Ewan as "Bubba One" and Rowan as "Bubba Two".

6. Ewan and Rowan are afraid of the dark. :-( They have a night light.

7. Friday's are now called "Poptart Day" because its the one morning of the week they get them for breakfast. I don't know if it is at all related to eating sugary sweet pastries, but...perhaps... it coincidentally is also the only morning that every one eats their entire breakfast while smiling and behaving like angels. I am afraid to give them poptarts more than one week because as Spiderman says "With great power comes great responsibility".

8. Ewan's favorite book is "Shoetown"

9. Rowan's favorite book is "Babies Special Pumpkin"

10. Lucas's favorite book is "Dream Weaver" by Jonathon London (A book about Spiders)

11. Matilda's favorite book is "My Mama Has a Dancing Heart" by Libba Moore Gray

12. Mommies favorite children's book is currently Cynthia Rylant's "When I was Young in the Mountains"

13. Duane's favorite children's book is "The Goodnight Train" by June Sobel

Our Christmas Letter

Dear Family and Friends, December 2008

I hope that all of you have enjoyed a blissful 2008. It has been a hectic year, but one that’s brought about many good things for us. We are happy with the opportunity to connect with family- all of those we love and cherish, regardless of relation or not.

Lets see… where do we begin? We have changed 5110 diapers this year, prepared 3000 bottles, washed 200 loads of baby laundry, read 730 bedtime stories, sang 365 lullabies and achieved over 1000 naps. And for this we have been blessed with the happy babble and song of four lovely children. Who, when they are not teething, are the sweetest people we know.

Lucas and Matilda turned 2 in August. Lucas has grown into quite the handsome but rambunctious toddler. He has a little laugh which is the sort that should not be spoken out loud because it means either “Gotcha!” or “I win!”. He sleeps with 7 pacifiers, thinks that bugs and trucks are the greatest things ever, loves to dance, thinks everything is the color “green”, solve puzzles, plays demolition with everything, and enjoys “Mickey Mouse”. His new favorite activity is fake belching. “Scuse me” (This behavior is not endorsed by parental guardians of said twin).

Matilda has been spelling her name since she turned 2. She can also spell ‘Lucas’, ‘Cat’ and ‘Dog’. She works as my personal secretary for a small wage of gold fish crackers. Her duties include dialing the telephone for me, keeping an ongoing log of the ill behavior of all of her brothers and frequently reporting on it, enforcing naptimes, and making sure that sippy cups remain with their designated toddler (it’s a highly technical system she has created via color coding). When she is not working, she enjoys singing out of key, counting, “Winnie the Pooh”, being read to, shoes of all colors and sizes, hair bows, and The ALPHABET.

Ewan and Rowan similarly had birthdays in August and are now 1 year old. First, Ewan’s head has filled in. We no longer identify him from his brother with the nickname of “Smooshie”. He has grown into a very handsome toddler. He is the most photogenic of our children, so you will forgive our prior sense of humor over his appearance at birth. He loves cake, dancing, singing penguins, all processed foods (e-gad), cake, “Mickey Mouse”, books, cake, rides in his stroller, tickles, cake, squealing, and did I mention CAKE? Ewan started walking at 12 months exactly and currently weighs 20 pounds 7 ounces and is 30 ½ inches tall. Ewan is a thumb sucker! Ewan's first words were "Christmas Tree" (not cake!!!).

Rowan is a tiny spitfire. He knows his animal sounds, parrots everything he hears, loves to clap, sing with his favorite songs and television shows (like his brothers, he loves “Mickey Mouse”), loves veggies, and any toys with silk tags. At 13 months he didn’t start walking, he started running. He is always on the move and can scarcely sit still long enough to eat his meals or even cuddle on your lap. He cheers on everyone in the house with claps and “Yah!” . He is our blue eyed baby and has had three hair cuts already! He only has two teeth and he was 29 ¾ inches tall at his 15 month checkup. He weighs in at only 18 and ½ pounds. Rowan is very attached to a Gund blue puppy dog, that’s a “twin” to the one that Matilda sleeps with every night.

We have not gone anywhere, we have not done anything. We do not watch “Jon and Kate plus 8” (that’s the number one question we get asked!). We are very much occupied at home at present.  We are fortunate that we are surrounded by our very favorite people, since it looks like we may be here for some duration. Seriously, we need a baby sitter. Hmpfh.

All humor aside, we are very grateful for our family and feel like this has been a wonderful year. We want to take the time to wish all of you the very best for the year 2009 and beyond. From our home to yours, Merry Christmas!

Muffle Muffle Moo

I have been trying to assess the little twins verbal skills. This is difficult, because they are on the move, and I have the echo in the house. The "Echo" is named Matilda. She either is repeating what I say very loudly and in dumbed down tones to the little twins and Lucas, or, she answers the questions I ask before anyone else has an opportunity.

For instance, yesterday I was sitting with an open book of animals. Rowan seems to know most of his animals, and earlier that morning I thought I heard him say "cockle doo" for rooster. I held out the book and said "Rowan, what does a rooster say?"

Rowan opens his mouth to reply, but then Tilly blurts out "cock a doodle doo".

"Tilly, I was asking ROWAN what a rooster says. Rowan, what does a rooster say?"

Rowan opens his mouth, but, Tilly blurts out "COCK A DOODLE DOO."

"Tilly, are you listening? Mommy wants to hear if Rowan knows what a rooster says. OK?"

"OK" (I am glad toddlers reply to redundant questions).

I make strong eye contact with Rowan and ask "Rowan, what does a rooster say".

Rowan doesn't attempt to reply. Tilly screams "COCK A DOODLE DOO!!!"

I then clasp my hand over her mouth. Regain eye contact with Rowan and ask, "Rowan, what does a rooster say?"

Rowan opens his mouth, but, before he can reply beneath my hand Tilly says "Muffle, Muffle, MOO!!!"

I give up.

Here is Tilly first thing in the morning, and Lucas with his 7 pacis.

At the Blue Willow Inn

While my sister was visiting we made the long drive to the Blue Willow Inn. This was the first time I have not put Lucas and Tilly in high chairs at a restaurant. I think this probably won't be attempted again for a loooong time. Tilly kept twisting around and squirming and climbing out of her chair, and Lucas wanted to stand up in his. Lucas probably ate an entire chicken, and Tilly ate only raw tomatoes and sweet potatoes. She is so picky when it comes to food- she prefers vegetables and fruits.

Lucas is now a "cat". He went two days last week without uttering a single word. He meows when he wants something, shakes his butt like he has a tail at the end of it, growls when he is angry, and swats you with his "paw" when he is mad at you. The only way to get him to come to me when I want him is to say "Here, Kitty, Kitty". One day I meowed back at him and Tilly laughed and said "Silly mommy. You are not a cat, you are a mommy!".

I have now made those pumpkin scones three times and Duane has "placed an order" for himself and his coworkers next week. They are so good, and to keep them fresh, I freeze small batches. Scones- like most biscuits- are the best the day you bake them unless you freeze some back to have on following days (The pumpkins scones are the best the first two days you have baked them).

I am baking a blackberry cake for Thanksgiving. We are going to my sil's home. My sister is traveling down to spend the holiday with us and we will be cooking a few things together to take with us. Is anyone else working on their Thanksgiving menu? I am going to bake a Blackberry Cake (from my aunt and grandma's recipe), make a Broccoli Casserole (not your "broccoli cuts and sticky rice" one- I use only the fresh broccoli florets, fresh mushrooms, add celery and onions and its very good), and my sister is going to make Deviled Eggs I think. I am still tinkering with this. I am also tempted to try a few new recipes I have come across recently that use steamed veggies.

And I received a wonderful crock pot in the mail! It is "Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookbook" revised addition from 1995. This has some interesting recipes in it that I can't wait to try! There is a recipe for crockpot caponata. A recipe for Beef Stroganoff, a recipe for cabbage rolls that you basically "fix and forget" ("Fix it and Forget it" is also on my crockpot cooking wishlist), a recipe for rice pudding. Reynolds Wrap also has crockpot recipes on their website. Right now the crockpot is the ONLY way we have a homemade meal in the evenings. I just can't find the time to cook anymore. All the twins are in the "witching hour" and I can't cook with meowing and whining in the background.

Here are some recent pictures of everyone- I have Lucas and Tilly in the blue and yellow again. I love them in those colors for Autumn!

Rowan likes to make faces and roar like a lion:




Ewan walking around with gladware on his head, and later jumping on the bed.




Lucas and Matilda at the Blue Willow Inn: