These are a few of my favorite things

Lately I've been thinking about what I love about each of my kiddos in their current stage of life. I thought I'd record it here because soon I will forget. This blog is such a treasure to me during the twins' first year of life. I have forgotten so many moments in the blur of sleeplessness that I'm thankful I carved out time to record those moments. As they get older, I find they change a bit more slowly, so posts come few & far between. But, this has been a precious place for me to save (and share) the wonderful moments of our life and journey, so I hope that I'll continue to make time to write.

Here are just a few of my favorite things about each Crain kid...

Maddex
1. Her helpfulness. She delights in doing things to help me - whether it's putting something in the sink, grabbing a diaper, or putting away her clothes.

 

2. Mispronunciations. Last night she was "reading" snow white to me and said "college" instead of "cottage." I got the giggles for quite a while. My favorite is when Mitch was eating some butterscotch candies and she heard us talking about it. She quickly asked me if I was wearing my butterscotch panties. (Another one: she told Mitch she wanted to get the earwack out of her ear and when he asked her if she meant earwax, she said, "No, just one earwack." Hey - at least she gets singulars & plurals, kinda).

3. Crazy hair. There are plenty of moments when it drives me nuts, but most of the time her half curly/half straight uneven 'do is a perfect representation of her silly personality.


4. Making her siblings laugh. Maddex is a picture of silliness, and she delights in gaining sweet giggles from her brother and sister. These moments usually delight us, too.


5. Imitating mom & dad. I just heard her say, "That's right baby girl" to Harper and she'll tell Major, "You're such a good boy." She often tells the babies, "Good job!!!

6. Waking up/sleepy face. I love her face when she wakes up - it's just a little big puffy and her hair's crazy. She is super snuggly and sweet in those first few moments of the morning or after nap.


7. Total sweetness. Tonight she told me, "I love daddy. And I love you, too!" My favorite is when I was calling Harper my lovey girl, and Maddex said, "Mommy, Harpy is your lovey girl and you are my lovey girl." I hope I am always her lovey girl.

Major
1. His deep voice. Ok, it's not as deep as I make it out to be, but he sounds so manly when he says, "Runny nose mama" or when I walk in to get him and he says, "Hey mah muh."


2. Kissy lips. There has never been a better smoocher than this boy. He puckers up so good and plants one right on the pecker :)


3. Snuggles at bedtime. Most nights when it's time to go to bed, he wraps his arms around me and lays his head on my shoulder. He'll perk up to give me a kiss, then lay that head right back down.


4. Mama's boy. There's no doubt about it - this boy loves me. What else am I supposed to do when he gets fussed an then comes to snuggle??

5.Towel snuggling. Unlike his sister, Major get his towel on after his bath and immediately wants me to pick him up. He snuggles me sweetly while we go get him diapered and milked.

6. Sister loving. Major man is just a lovey boy. He is always willing to kiss and hug his sisters. He will bring things to them and is always such a sweet brother.
 



Harper
1. Giggles. I wish I could bottle her giggles. There is just not much better than a high-pitched, hilarious Harpy giggle.


2. Woodchuck teeth. I know that's a horrible thing to call them, but her front four teeth have always been so round and noticeable. Her top eyeteeth are coming in, and I'm afraid we will lose these sweet teeth.


3. Running. Y'all, there is something so hilarious about Harper's run. She kinda picks one leg up when she gets ready to go, and then moves so slowly. She loves to run away from us, so we get to witness this silly scene often.

4. Babbling. Harper will tell me something emphatically, except that it's unintelligible! She'll even repeat the phrase multiple times, but I'm lucky if I can pick a word or two out!


5. Naked towel running. After her bath every night, I put the towel on her head, and Harper takes off running into the living room. Her running is already hilarious, so add a towel and naked butt and it doesn't get better than that! She'd run around naked all night if we let her!

6. Raise both hands. Anytime I ask a question that starts with "Who..." or "Raise your hand if you..." Harpy raises both hands up in the air (this is best if she is wearing a short shirt and her belly shows) and says, "MEEEEE!!"

When Mommy's Away...

Daddy sends pictures!

This past weekend I had a super relaxing girls weekend at the beach before I really get into the grind of work. I am at a new school/position/grade level, so I'm sure I'm in for a doozy of a year. It was perfect timing for me to get away and rest before the school year begins (not to mention my precious kiddos were driving me bonkers the day before)!!

Mitch was going to be on fully daddy duty for over two days. This isn't the first time he's taken charge of the kids for this long, but it's the first time he's done it with three toddlers (babies had just turned one when I last went out of town). Y'all, it's hard by yourself with three small kiddos. That's a lot of sippy cups, meals, food thrown on the floor, baths, diapers, clothes changes, yada yada yada. Not to mention the twins had some belly issues, and my sweet husband changed more than his share of poopy diapers.

One of the best parts of me being gone was the never-ending stream of pictures Mitch sent to my phone. He really was SUPERDAD while I was gone and kept me updated every step of the way. The pictures deserve their own blog post as a reminder to me (and our kiddos) in the future of what a committed, sweet, fun daddy they have.

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I did...several made me laugh out loud!
     

This was the first picture I got. Sure love them.

That smile. Well - those smiles! I do just melt over Harper's sweet smile!!

We have a similar picture of Maddex from over a year ago...it makes her look so goofy!!

Their response to "Who loves Mommy?" There was also a sweet video to accompany this picture. Brought joy and ache to my heart simultaneously!

First outing: Rue Beignet. BRAVE DAD!

Oh, this girl!

Second outing: Visit Mike the Tiger. The next day Mitch sent me a text that said, "Daddy I had fun seeing Mike the Tiger with you. And I had fun spending time with you yesterday too." These were sweet day's for my kiddos to spend time with their daddy!

Major wanted to hug his big sis when she got up from her nap.

Then he wanted to dance with her. Total sweetness. I often said "Awwww" aloud when I got these pictures :)

Then I got this gem of Maj stuck in a tub. How can you not laugh at that?

Followed by Maddex stuck in the same tub! Soul siblings!!!

My squish...I was requesting pics of her!

She needed snuggles bc her poor bottom was hurting :(

The caption to this pic was, "I think he's trying to tell me something."

My sweet, sweet girl

As an English teacher, this picture is one of my favorites!!! Also, notice Major wearing Maddex's crocs.

My girl. All mine. ;)

My loves!!!!

Don't worry...it was cleaned up before I got home!

Waving at me :)

My soul sister

Sweet siblings

By now I was not too far from home and my sweet big girl was groggy from her nap. When I came home, she ran to me and just giggled and giggled. It was such a precious moment for me :)

Mitch also took the kids to church twice on Sunday! They had a great weekend, and I know the kids loved getting this special time with their daddy. I am thankful Daddy takes great care of them while I'm gone, AND he takes care of my heart by keeping me updated with pictures of their precious faces!

On another note, I am really determined to get back to blogging. I read over my entries from the twins' first year and often see things I've forgotten. Each post is a reminder about this crazy life we live and helps me see the Lord's provision through it all. Ultimately, these blogs are for me to be reminded of the precious moments of our lives, but I do enjoy sharing them with friends and family that we don't get to see often enough. So, hopefully you'll continue to see updates from me a bit more often!

Dear Working Amy

Months ago, I read this and was really touched by it. As a teacher, I have the joy of working but also staying at home with my kids for about 15 weeks out of the year. I truly feel like I see both sides of the fence and can identify with stay-at-home moms and working moms.

As I sit here in the trenches of summer, I can't help but begin to long for the working world. Being a working mom seems sooooo easy and fulfilling in a different way. Knowing better, I scolded myself and thought of the letters I read months ago. Then, I thought it might be entertaining to write letters to myself - one from stay-at-home Amy to working Amy and, in a few months, one from working Amy to stay-at-home Amy.

So, here in the woes and heat of summer is my first letter…

Dear Working Amy,

Walk those halls. Walk nice and slow through those halls to one of many bathrooms (yes, I'm starting with a trip to the bathroom; these are important, people!). Enjoy those moments to yourself; take as long as you wish. Perhaps you can peruse Facebook or watch a YouTube video. Maybe you'll think back to the days where you had to tiptoe to the back bathroom in dire hopes of a few moments of privacy…only to be followed closely by the pitter patter of little feet (such a cute phrase - but not when headed to the bathroom). Don't think about what it was like to squeeze four people - albeit three of them small - into a toilet room and take care of business while they gaze smile cry up at you or maybe even sit in your lap. Enjoy the solitude, working Amy!

My working counterpart, you had a lovely drive to work this morning? Maybe it was long, but what else was it? Quiet? You mean to tell me no one begged to watch Frozen, or screamed because Harper's foot was on her seat? No one cried loudly for no apparent reason? No one pelted you in the head with a half-full sippy cup? You didn't have to rub Major's head to keep him from falling asleep - AGAIN? I hope you enjoyed that quiet. Use it to listen to some music, say a few prayers (for the crew you're going to face when you get home, ha ha ha), chuckle at the Kid Kraddick Morning Show, call a friend, or just be silent. Amy: don't text and drive.

Hard-working, ever-toiling Amy, did you get to speak to adults today? How many intellectually stimulating conversations did you have with your co-workers? SIX?? You spoke to six different people without interruption or whining? Wait, what? You spoke to more than that?? Ohhhh, but only six conversations were intellectually stimulating. It's tough keeping up with you, smart girl; my stay-at-home mom brain has gone to mush. Anyway, Amy, I hope you lavished in those conversations. May your brain be challenged and your mind exhausted from educational pursuits. I'm going to go kiss a boo boo and cook some yummy nummy supperooni.

Oh Amy, you may have just made it home at 5:00, but look at your floors. They're spotless! I can see my face in them! No food has been slung, no milk spilled, no clothes thrown, or toys strewn about. Your house has been still. The sink remains empty, and gosh-darnit, those clothes can wait! They're waiting for me even now! Go spend a few moments with those sweet babies who've missed you all day! The weekend is just around the corner - be encouraged!

And at the end of the day, how's your "to do list" looking, my working friend? Oh, you woke, got everyone packed for the day, made it out the door by 6 AM, fed the minds of about 45 precious young ones, professionally developed, met with a colleague, called two parents, wrote countless e-mails, graded a set of papers, made some copies, went for a run, stopped for an afternoon coffee, picked up the kids, prepared supper, fed the minions, ran some laundry, unloaded the dishes, got everyone to bed, held about a 7 minute conversation with your mega-hunk husband, and crashed? Wow, you must feel accomplished! All of those items scratched off of your list! Oh, how sweet, you're asking about my list?  I scrubbed last night's quinoa off the floor and peed by myself!!!

Love,
Stay-at-home Amy

Maddex's 3rd Birthday, the best weekend, and my 100th post!

Hello again, blog world!! (I have to confess that I have no idea how to punctuate that first sentence - embarrassing!) This is my 100th post on the blog! Hard to believe I've had that much to say over the past couple of years. Well, if you know me then you know it's not that hard to believe ;)

We had such a good weekend this past weekend! It was the kind of weekend that weekends were created for! First, I must brag that my weekend started with an awesome run. I've really come to enjoy running & the company of some awesome friends isn't too bad! I came home to my BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!! I decorated the house for her party the night before and left out some donut holes for her breakfast. When I got home, she said "Mommy did you do my birthday?" "Did you do my hole donuts?" She's hilarious. Here's a couple of pictures my mom took of my sweet birthday girl that day!

I can't get over how big she looks in these pictures!

Then I quickly got ready for our church date night & headed up to the church w/ the kids. Mitch met me there a little later. We enjoyed delicious food, dessert, games, and some time together! Here's a picture to commemorate!

I figured I'd come home to full scale party mode, but I just wasn't feeling great. Friday nights are not my best - the week really wears this mama down! I headed to bed with plans to finish everything the next morning. Thankfully, I worked a bit all week to get the house ready and my plan to finish everything Friday worked out. I baked all morning then drove the kids to Chick Fil A for some birthday party day lunch while Mitch picked up a few things for me. As soon as the kids went down for a nap I was in full scale sprint mode :) I managed to get everything ready for Maddex's Princess Sofia party just in time! Mitch and Major headed to Cabela's while the girls partied :) I think the girls all had a good time, and Maddex really loved her party!

Excited about some Sofia figurines!

Decorating crowns

Cupcakes

Table set for the princesses

Mrs. Kerri makes the best cookies!!

The girls' place setting

My princess

The aftermath :)

Princess Harpy coloring

Decorating her crown

The girls headed home, the boys returned home, and our family came over for another party!! We ate pizza, sang some more happy birthday, and Maddex got to eat a second cupcake! We really enjoyed splitting the afternoon between family and friends!

Wardrobe change

Harpy's wardrobe change

Buddy!

Opening gifts again!

This radio flyer ride on thing has been such a hit!

Hehehe

Cheese!

Cheese! My sweet boy!

Happy Harpy

This has definitely been my favorite birthday party so far! Our house is still in birthday party hangover mode :)

Sunday wrapped up the weekend nicely. We started with church then headed to Chimes for some brunch. I ate a crawfish omelette. Thank you Jesus for crawfish omelets. I went home and took an amazing nap!! I told Mitch I'd take the first kid who woke up to Target with me, and that happened to be my Harpy girl! She is usually a super long sleeper, so I was surprised when she was up first! I looooooved having some one on one time with just my baby girl - I have found that Major gets a lot of one on one time (mostly bc he's not a great sleeper) and Maddex gets a lot after the babies are down for the night. Sweet Harper Elle is such an easy girl that she doesn't get much time like this at all! This grin shows how happy she was to spend time with Mommy!

I'm so thankful for such sweet time with my kids and such a special celebration of my big girl! Thank to everyone who celebrated with us and helped make that day so special!