Favorite day of summer so far

As the title says, today has been my favorite day of summer! The babies had a pretty good night and have napped well. It's amazing how much better a day can go when everyone is well-rested!

The day started off with Maddex and I attending a princess breakfast at the Mall of Louisiana. My friend Jennifer sent me the information a while back about this, and I was sure Maddex would love it! I signed myself, Maddex, Jennifer, Audra, and Carrie & Carly up to go. The event was AWESOME! The girls made little crowns and could take pictures with princesses (aka pageant queens). They could also get a princess makeover (hair done & make-up), but our girls weren't quite old enough for that. We sat down to eat and breakfast was delicious. I believe it was provided by Copeland's. We had bacon, potatoes, a muffin/scone thing, eggs, fruit, and cupcakes! Maddex's favorite was the bacon and fruit...and of course, the cupcake! The girls ran around and played for a while after they ate - such energy! The proceeds benefitted the Big Buddy program, so we were able to have a good time and help out a local cause. This is one of my favorite things I've been able to do with Maddex! Here are pictures from our morning:

Maddex and Carly

Maddex sporting her crown. She spelled her name all by herself ;)

Three best friends (this was about as good as we could get three two-year-olds to take a picture!)

BFFs

With a princess

Every princess eats bacon

And a cupcake!

Princess Maddex did not want to take a picture with Queen mommy :)

As good as we could get!

Sweaty from running around & crown dye on her forehead!

Maddex and I came home to some sleeping babies who took a GREAT nap! Soon after the babies woke up we headed back out so I could go pick up a book from the library. I loaded the babies in the double stroller and we made a quick trip inside. Maddex did so good walking by me in the parking lot and whispering inside of the library. I hope that we can go back for some story time this summer...we'll see!

We came home and it was time for lunch & naps. By 2:00 all three kids were down for a nap! Then, they all napped at least an hour!!! Major has not been a great napper lately, so for him to take two naps for over an hour in one day is AH-MAZING! I felt so accomplished in that hour - I was able to pay some bills, write a couple of cards, compose a letter to (hopefully) get out of jury duty next week, and place an order with Azure Standard (a company that delivers natural, organic, earth-friendly foods and products to various sites around the country).

Major man woke up first and helped me make some cupcakes. Look at this ADORABLE helper I had!!

My little helper

Cutest assistant!

Towel head

Mmmmmm Major makes yummy cupcakes

Once everyone woke up, Princess Maddex got to partake in a sucker from her goodie bag from this morning.

Princess sucker

The babies practiced sitting and rolling around. Major rolled over to Harper and just grinned and grinned at her :). She talked gibberish to him in return.

Sitting!!

We love each other

Maj is always grinning at his sister!

Overall, the babies have been less fussy and more content to play alone (and a little with each other) without being held. This makes for a MUCH happier mama!!!


We played outside for about thirty minutes, and now Major is down for a nap while the girls watch Cinderella. I just might survive this summer after all :)

Summer - Week 1

Y'all. Staying at home with 3 kids two and under AIN'T EASY!! I'm already counting down to when school starts again ;) (64 days FYI). The babies seem to have begun serious teething mode as soon as summer started! Night sleeping and naps have regressed, and I am pooped! To add to that, Maddex's 2 year molars are coming in! So we are teething x 3 in the Crain household...oh Lawd!!! I am definitely enjoying the sweet moments with all of my babies, but I could do with a little less fussiness/clinginess and a little more sleep!

I had grand plans for working with Maddex this summer, but so far, that's not happening. By the end of the day, I think, "What did we do today?" and it usually involves Maddex watching "Wheels on the Bus" like 5 times and playing with some of her toys. I think she colored once and did puzzles once. I know it's just the first week, so I'm hoping I can get the hang of things and do a little more with her as summer progresses.

I've been somewhat discouraged this week about how little was getting done around the house. I couldn't even see to keep up with the daily tasks of laundry & dishes and everything was just piling up! Nana to the rescue, though! My mom came over on Wednesday and helped entertain the kids while I was able to do some chores. Then she helped me do some chores while everyone napped. Since then I've felt a little more encouraged and caught up. I'm so used to large feelings of accomplishments - a successful lesson taught, students reaching goals, an assignment completed and turned in, that the simple daily tasks of a stay-at-home-mom left me feeling unfulfilled. I've really worked on changing my perspective these last few days and have tried to find fulfillment in just the smallest tasks - organizing the babies' clothes, putting away the laundry, or blogging :). This change in perspective IS helping my discouragement about staying at home and making me enjoy the days a bit more.

Ok, enough whining...here's a breakdown of our week...

• Even though Monday was a holiday, Mitch had work to do, so it was just a regular summer day around here. We stayed at home all morning, and I quickly realized that makes the day go by much slower! I've made it a point to get out daily since then. 
• We made a couple of trips to Target. I usually get a couple of "hands full" comments and quite a few stares. I've discovered there are many different ways to configure three kids when going to Target, and our set up has been different each time (pictures below).
• We had a couple of playdates - one at our house and one at Carrie's w/ Maddex's BFF's Carly & Audra. The girls had so much fun playing in the water together & only had one or two small tiffs over toys :) I haven't decided yet if I prefer a playdate here or away. It's nice to get out of the house, but it's also easier to be able to put the babies down for a nap at home.
• We did a little playing outside yesterday. The babies were pretty content and Maddex really enjoyed it. I tried to wait until the evening, but it was still SO hot!
• I did manage a nap one day for about an hour and a half. I was incredibly tired & put the kids down then lay down myself. I woke up to Major's fussing and have no idea how long he was fussing in there! I haven't gotten them to nap at the same time for that long since then!

Maddex is especially funny these days (when she's not whining or throwing a typical 2-year-old tantrum). My favorite Maddex moment of the week was Friday when she came to me with what I thought was a small piece of trash. I held my hand out and turns out, it was a booger! I hollered to Mitch for a cloth and he brought me a paper towel. Well, in the transfer, the booger got onto him! I laughed so much and still LOL when I think about it. She brought me another booger last night. This one made it on the paper towel. She has started to really love dancing and singing for us. I love the good parts of the two-year-old stage!

Here are a few pictures from our week...

Happy boy up from his nap during our walk.

Went for a walk after the babies woke up from a nap too early. This is how sweet sister fell back to sleep!

Memorial day stud to the MAX!

Target trip one - Maddex in the kid part, Maj stuffed in the top of the buggy, and Harpy in her carseat in the buggy.

Sis was fussing, so she snuggled with me in the sleepy wrap while I cooked dinner.

Target trip two - Maj & Maddex in the stroller & Harpy in the sleepy wrap. I piled what I could carry into a basket.

We LOVE Baby Einstein :)

Oh my word - angel baby. Harper's sporting one of Maddex's old shirts :)

Playing outside

Major laughing at his sister. They are really starting to notice each other!

Beautiful girl

Teething boy

Fun evening outside!!

The Secret of My Success

So, I'm currently singing a song from our 5th(ish) grade church musical..."The secret of my success...God wants me to be my best...I'm seeking his kingdom...and his righteousness...that's the secret of my success...duh duh duh duh duh." Fun fact: My part in this musical was a camel. I shared the part with 2 other people. We were a camel with a head, two humps, and six legs. Freaky. Anyway...

I have made it through the most difficult season of my life to date and lived to tell about it. So tell about it, I shall. The idea for this post came to me yesterday evening when I was feeling incredibly thankful that the past five months are behind me (In case you're reading this post in isolation, let me explain that I have a 2 year old daughter who was 21 months old when my twins were born in November (twins that I'm still nursing and that do not sleep through the night), I teach middle school English and returned to work in December, I completed my final course for my Master's degree this semester, and I'm involved in a new church and ladies bible study). I realized that there are likely moms (and even others who aren't moms) who are feeling the pressure of motherhood with the possible addition, of work, school, and other activities. I believe sharing a few of my secrets might, someday, help another mom out there. I hope that each of you can find a gem of encouragement in my words today and perhaps a piece of advice that may help you through a difficult season.

I always hear the phrase "I don't know how you do it"...well, here's how:

1. Organization. Let me start with a big HAHA because I am laughing at calling myself organized. I'm NOT. My house is always a mess, my classroom is covered in dust, and my car is full of junk. There is barely a thing about me that's organized! The one aspect of organization that helped me survive these months was the existence of lists. And even my lists aren't organized - they are on my phone, sticky notes, in my planner, and on my computer. They're everywhere! But keeping a list of things that need to be accomplished helped me to put my busyness in perspective. I was able to see that my chores could be accomplished and felt that accomplishment when an item was removed from the list.

2. Perspective. When you find yourself in a difficult position, always remember that someone has it worse. During my twins' fussy time in those early weeks, I realized that they could be colicky and could cry all day. An hour or 2 of fussiness seemed like nothing in comparison. When I hear of fellow twin moms who lose a baby in utero or after birth, I'm reminded of how lucky I am to have two healthy, thriving babies, even if they don't sleep. Keep your perspective in difficult experiences - look at your blessings and remember that there are others around the world who are grieving, suffering, and dying.

3. Ask for help. I am a pretty self-sufficient person. I take pride (probably too much of it) in doing it "all" and doing it by myself. But it would have been impossible for me to survive these months without help. Whether I needed to ask my husband to watch the kids so I could nap or have an afternoon out,or CeCe or Nana kept the kids extra so I could run an errand or get some extra work done, someone was always available to help. There are people out there who will help you, you just have to ask!

4. Faith. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. These months were more than I could survive in my flesh. Without my savior giving me the strength I needed for each day, I would have quit school and had multiple breakdowns. I know it is only by His power that I made it through the past semester. If you're reading this, and you don't have a faith like this - with the belief in our Savior Jesus Christ that He can live and work through you, I pray you will find that faith. I am weak! His strength is what guides me daily! I may have mentioned this reason last, but it is the utmost reason for my success - during this past semester and in all of my previous endeavors.

I wish I could say that I have some magical advice that will actually make your life easier - but this is it. A lot of faith coupled with a little organization, perspective, and a cry for help every once in a while can take you a long way. I'm thankful for this season of my life because I truly believe I've learned so much about myself and the Lord. Despite my thankfulness, I gladly bid this season farewell and look forward to the upcoming summer full of sleep, playdates, vacations, and mindlessness! I hope that in my future difficult seasons, I'll be able to tackle them with the same tools I've used over these months and find myself successful once again.

Six Months

I can't believe...

these twins 

are already 1/2 year old! This has seriously been the most precious six months of my life! I found myself incredibly nervous and anxious when we found out we were having twins, but every benefit has far outweighed the difficulties. I am so, so blessed to be able to take this journey of "twindom!" I'm so excited to see what the next 6 months hold as my sweet babies begin eating, crawling, and communicating.

Here's a breakdown of what's been going on lately:

Twins

-Sleeping is pretty much the same - I am up anywhere between 1-3 times a night with the babies. As much as I'd love a full night of sleep, I just can't bring myself to let them CIO at night yet (and I may never be able to). I have no issues with CIO, but for me & these babies, it's just not right during the middle of the night. They did, however, give me a full night of sleep on their 6 month birthday! Both babies woke up minutes after my alarm went off, but I slept uninterrupted! That gives me hope that more full nights might be coming soon!
-My favorite thing to do with them right now is make them give each other kisses. They usually will smile and slobber on each other :)
-Both are getting pretty good at sitting up. I imagine they'll be sitting unassisted in the coming weeks.
-We started bananas this week. I've decided to skip rice cereal & go straight to food since I'm starting so late. They had bananas twice - Major was very interested. Harper, not so much. (pics below)
-We must be in the early stages of teething. Both babies often have their hands in their mouth and are drooling a bunch.
-Both babies are comfortably in six month clothes, but I imagine we'll be growing out of those soon!
-We are on our last few size 2 diapers and then we'll be in size three! We have a great stash of size threes, but then we will have to start buying diapers for two babies. I've actually been considering using cloth diapers...hmmmm....

Harper
-Still my sweet, giggly girl. She is so ticklish and I just die at each of her baby cackles. She has the biggest, sweetest smile! She has begun to laugh at nothing...it's hilarious.
-Harper had a rough morning this week. I think she may have had some gas issues that made it difficult for her to sleep and then she was overtired the rest of the day. This was a tough day for me to be at work because I just wanted to be home snuggling that baby girl. I'm looking forward to having days off next year to be with my babies when they don't feel well!


Major
-Major is just such a stud & a clown! He's always sticking his tongue out like a big 'ole goofball!
-Maj is a flirt for sure...he crinkles his eyes when he smiles.
-We've discovered Major loves the clucking noise. Mitch got a great video of him laughing when he heard Mitch cluck.
-He is completely off of medicine and we haven't been to the chiropractor in a while for his reflux. I'm hoping that he's grown out of it! We still go through bibs & burp cloths, but the laundry load has definitely slowed down!

Just one more week before I'm home with these babes for the summer! It's going to be crazy but so special and fun! Check out their cuteness!

This face says it all!

Sweet babies!!!!

We are six months old!!!!

smiles

silly girl

I'm going to blink and these sweet six month olds will be ONE! It's flying by so quickly!

I Survived

Y'all. It has been a week for the record books! I am here to say that I came out on the other side & I'm alive and well!! Before I recount my week for you (and for myself years down the road when I can say, "How did I do all of that?"), let me tell you that for every difficult and stressful moment of this week, the Lord provided me with sweet, special memories to give me balance.

We'll start with a brief mention of Sunday...here we go!

Sunday

Finally received some brief feedback from my professor about my paper & PowerPoint for my defense. Let me know that said defense was scheduled for Tuesday evening. I had e-mailed the paper 2 weeks prior and the PowerPoint one week prior. Made some minor changes to my PowerPoint & paper, but I knew that I'd have more feedback headed my way. Had to plan my lesson for Monday. At this moment I definitely felt the stress of the week, but it was just looming overhead.

Monday

-Get to school early & make copies
-Introduce new topic & manage to get grades uploaded by noon
-Shortly after noon receive feedback from professor that the majority of one of my chapters of my paper must be completely scrapped and redone.
-Speak to professor & determine to still have my defense Tuesday evening but will turn my paper in a few days late.
-Meet in PLC & try to take a breather (ha!)
-Head home & make changes to my PowerPoint while Harper sits in my lap.
-Mitch gets home & Maddex and I head to the Eaglette parent meeting back up at school.
-Come home, heat up dinner, eat, get everyone to bed, then plan my lesson for the next day & make a few more changes to my paper.

Tuesday

-School as usual...head home afterwards
-Feel nerves like I haven't felt in YEARS as I sit in my closet waiting for my professor to call. Spend about 50 minutes on the phone going through my PowerPoint to defend my graduate project. All seems to go well despite my stuttering and nerves :)
-Around 6:00, I head out to go meet my life group for dinner - I was SO thankful for this evening to de-stress after that defense experience!! Mitch was sweet enough to put the kids to bed so I could run to the outlet mall after dinner. Got myself a new dress :)

Wednesday

-School as usual...head home afterwards. Wait - school was NOT as usual! We had severe weather procedures which lasted through lunch and launched us into a crazy schedule. OOH! Let me interject a story here...

The day I found out I was pregnant with the twins we had severe weather procedures. I had woken Mitch up that morning and told him that I was pregnant. Then he got up like normal and took Maddex to Mrs. Vickie's. When he got home, he texted me that it looked like a tornado had come through near our home. He confirmed with me that everything was okay at our house. I think about that morning all of the time...if Mitch had left earlier to go to Mrs. Vickie's, he could have been returning home when that tornado hit OR if he had left a few minutes later, he and Maddex could both have been involved. It gives me chills to think about how close they were to a disaster that morning!

-Work throughout the day/afternoon to make all of the needed changes to my paper.
-Get ready for a community dinner to honor teachers of the year. We loaded up all of the kids and headed to the dinner. It really was an enjoyable evening and the babies were SO good. Maddex was hilarious, but also very good.
-Come home, get all the kids to bed a little late, and head to bed myself. I think at some point Wednesday I finished my paper & sent it to my professor for any final edits.

Thursday

-Get to school and scramble to get part of my lesson today. Get observed, unannounced, first block (of course!)
-Receive final notes from professor and make a few minor changes to paper. Print paper, have Mitch pick up copies, take to Office Depot, bind & mail.
-Submit paper and PowerPoint electronically
-Eaglette tryouts after school & work on finishing a grant that was due at 5:00 that day. Tryouts went well & I got the grant finished 40 minutes before it was due. At that point I realize that it has to be approved by my principal before the deadline! So I shoot an e-mail to Mr. Walker & ask him to review my grant within the next 36 minutes if possible. Big shout out to Mr. Walker for coming through for me!
-At this point, I head home for my most regular evening of the week. Dinner was in the crock pot and I got home to sleeping babies. I actually took a power nap despite 2 cups of coffee!
-I ended the night with chocolate chip cookies.

Today is business as usual and we have the final Eaglette tryouts this afternoon. I'm so excited - I love this day! So, all of that happened within a few short days - throw in full days of teaching and late bedtimes, early mornings, and a few nightly feedings and I'm pretty pooped! Insert comments here like "I don't know how you do it." :)

Now, let's switch gears and talk about the joys of this week.

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22 - 23

It would have been so easy to be consumed this week, but the Lord proved faithful (as always) and gave me new mercies every morning. He provided me with the stamina and energy to make it through each day. He sustained me despite lack of sleep and helped me to stay positive and have a good outlook! He kept me well and made my steps successful. Those facts, in and of themselves, are enough to have made this a great week!! I do have some specific moments of joy amidst this crazy week that I hope to always remember...

-I had a wonderful meal with some of my favorite women! And I got to shop (even if I basically ran from store to store) and get a new dress!
-I enjoyed another evening where my accomplishments of a teacher were recognized. I've been so honored and humbled this year!
-After the dinner on Wednesday, Maddex was hopped up on cake and was hilarious and so sweet. She kept getting Mitch to "fly like a bird" across the room with her (this meant she galloped while flapping her arms). She would get to me & kiss me on the mouth. Then go back to the other side and do it again. Over and over and over. The Lord knew my soul needed those sweet Maddex kisses. Mitch would tell her to count to three and she'd say "one, two, three, four!" I think this memory is my favorite of the week!
-My friend blessed me with some diapers! We still haven't had to buy diapers since the twins were born!!! Wow!
-Mitch brought me lunch yesterday and made me chocolate chip cookies.
-I always love tryout week!
-Today I was made aware of a curriculum plan from the state. I felt like their plan mirrors much of what I do in my classroom but adds even greater material and depth to how I teach. I feel VERY excited about having some direction for next year!
-HELLOOOOOO!!! I FINISHED MY MASTER'S DEGREE!!!
-Finally, I am blessed with a husband and mom who are always ready and willing to help out during weeks like this. They both kept the kids extra and helped out around the house while I've been going ninety to nothing. So a SUPER SHOUT OUT to Nana and Mitch!!!

I'm not sure that list even includes all of the wonderful moments I've had this week. I honestly say that I can look back on the week with relief, pride, and accomplishment. It would be so easy to be caught up in the work, tiredness, and lack of time with my kids, but I choose to remember the good.

  Thank you, Lord, that I am not consumed by the world around me, and that I can trust in your faithfulness and new mercies each morning!

PS - I promise to include some new pictures in my next update!!! :)

Happy Birthday Nana!!!

Big Happy Birthday shout out to my mom - the one and only Nana! I won't tell the world how old she is, but let's just say she don't look it ;)

We are so thankful for Nana! She has given up her days of freedom and retirement to come take care of my babies day in & day out. She gets pooped on and puked on with the best of us! We are so blessed to have a Nana that so selflessly takes care of the twins and Maddex. She's always willing to help extra at a moment's notice! She basically works a full time job (and a tough one at that) for FREE! I'm very thankful that my babies have this special time with my mom & that she has this special time with them.

WE LOVE YOU NANA! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Nana & a just born Maddex

 Waiting for the twins' arrival!

Nana & a just born Major (I think)

Kissing Harper (I think)

 Happy birthday Mom! I love you!