twas the week before Christmas

I'd love to tell you the reason I haven't posted in a week is because we have been cuddled up around the fire with fish bowls of red wine watching twinkling Christmas lights while Christmas cookies were baking but that's just not the case.

We've been sick, man.

First Matty
Then Bubba
Then me.

I've been slingin' babes on my hips trying to keep them happy.

Sweet baby girl put up a convincing fight but she finally succumbed to the cough Saturday night and from there
it
has
all
gone
downhill.

But, don't let her glassy eyes and leaky nose fool you though, she feels good enough to shake what her mama gave her. It makes me keel over with laughter everytime she does it. Thank goodness she got her mama's sweet dance moves.

I love it.

We've been laying low over here enjoying the freezing cold temps and talking about getting ready for Christmas.

Tree? Check.
We waited for a chilly night
Put the kids in cozy clothes and set out for the perfect tree.

Matty is awfully picky when it comes to trees so it took a while but there is the winner winner chicken dinner.

I'll get a picture of her all jazzed up soon.

Honestly, the tree is the only thing that gets a check.
I have lots of unchecked items that somehow need to get checked.
I haven't started shopping yet.
I usually do all my shopping on Christmas Eve or the day before.
I know that's not a good idea this year however, I haven't done anything about it......yet.

Maybe tomorrow?

I know this post is kinda boo.....I'll try to get it together asap.

9 months on the 9th

Much to my amazement we are still trucking around here.

You two are 9 months and 2 days.

Just so you know, the chances of these things getting posted on your actual birthday are slim to none.

Bubba now has four teeth, two on top, two on bottom.

He has lost that gummy smile that screams

yeah mom, don't worry, I'm still a baby.

Chloe has two teeth on the bottom so if I squint and try to just focus on the top, I can still manage to see a baby.

***disclaimer....I will be switching tenses left and right in this post. Sometimes I want to write to my babes and sometimes I want to write about them. Let's just deal with it mkay?***

You both are extremely mobile and like to pull yourself up on everything.

Chloe got the memo that crawling was tres chic and hasn't looked back since.

You both love being outside and also love putting everything in your mouths so it makes it difficult for mama.

A lot of times I don't even know you have a large piece of debris in your mouth until you are crying and coughing with
watery
big
sad
blue
eyes.
Daddy says I need to pay better attention but I just tell him to shut it.
I think I am doing a pretty good job.

You both are getting bigger but somehow Colton is still managing to pack on the pounds quicker than you Baby G. You definitely didn't get that from me.

Colton weighs 19 pounds and Chloe weighs 16.2.

Chloe, you still love to eat a lot more than Colton and you both would rather feed yourself than let me feed you. You think you're big kids.
Chloe, you make the most delicious mmmmmmm noise everytime I put something in your mouth.
I can't get enough of it.
For your birthday dinner you had broccoli, chicken and carrots and I ate ice cream for your birthday dessert.

We kind of got in a fight this week because you went on strike for naps and quit sleeping through the night.
We spent a lot of time at Publix. Actually it was Publix's parking lot but whatev.
Frankly, I am over it but being that this is your birthday post I won't complain.
We made up and I loved you more.



Chloe loves it when I tap her mouth while she talks. We used to call it "talking like an Indian" but I am not so sure that is PC these days?

You both get very bored in your baby jail and would rather have free reign over the entire house and all of its contents.

You both still love Yo Gabba Gabba and I love it too because, aside from family DJ Lance Rock is a very cheap babysitter.

The most adorable thing you do now is give kisses to each other and everyone.
Bubba kisses 642 times a day and they are big fat soggy french kisses.
I love them more than anything in this world.

You both continue to test my patience daily but you also continue to teach me a

love

that I never knew existed.

You make my heart explode.

I love you sweet babies.

9 months on the 9th?

That means 12 weeks until 12 months?

How is that possible?

Mamma has a party to plan!

yesterday

yesterday was rough, bro.
i cried.
these twins won.
they often do.

we didn't make it out of our pj's.
i say that like it's is an uncommon thing.
it's not but we do try to put clothes on when we leave the house.
not yesterday.

my baby boy is sick. he sounds like a purring cat when i hold him.
and chloe?
well chloe has decided that she is terrified of her brother.
it's sad i tell you.
he loves her so much and attacks her with love and kisses
and she doesn't realize he is attacking her out of love.
well, sometimes.
sometimes he's just attacking her.
he always wakes up about an hour earlier than she does and he is constantly looking for her.
it's so presh.
and when she wakes up and I walk out with her he just freezes and smiles a smile that makes my
heart swell.
she kind of rolls her eyes and says great, here we go again.
i put her down and
BAM
he's all up on her like white on rice.
poor thing.
i hope she comes around.

yesterday after he smothered her for the 462nd time
and she screamed like the world had ended.
this mamma was done.
we hoped in the car.
they're quiet there.

we got to publix
put the car in park.
and i was just enjoyed the peace.
we stayed there for
almosttwohours.
i watched a baker leave for lunch......and come back.
i watched a guy corral carts about 14 times.
they eventually fell asleep.
i didn't care.
sitting in the quiet car was so much better than what was going down at home.

don't let this edible little thing fool you.
she puts on her happy face in front of people so they don't believe me.

days like yesterday are so hard to deal with.
for me at least.

one thing i feared i would struggle with before having these babies was patience.
it has never been a virtue i have possessed.
matty says it is like night and day watching me with the kids versus the new pair of shoes i need NOW.
i have to agree.
but yesterday, my patience wore thin.
it was boderline dangerous thin and daddy got home just in time.
right before I cracked.

he must have known i wasn't playin'.

he got home just in time for me to have a lil time out so i could regroup and love all over those lil twinnies right before bed.
all was forgiven and forgotten on both sides.

here's hoping to a better today.

although this is how we are starting out sooooooo............

how does that even happen?

I'm alive

I hope you missed me.

You know how it goes.
Nothing is ever as it seems.
My husband says it's all about expectations. I had high ones for Thanksgiving.
But.
You know how it goes.
I was so proud of myself for planning Thanksgiving breakfast on Wednesday.
Not only did I plan it, I had it put together and ready to pop in the oven.
Wednesday, people.
I made it.
Early.
I don't do that.
Ever.
I'm a procrastinator.

I had a vision of
waking up
it being chilly enough for the windows to be open
and Matt and me sipping coffee watching our delicious children frolic about lovingly.

Matt doesn't even drink coffee
and it was hot.
And out twins were trampling each other and crying.
A lot and often.

I busted out the hashbrown casserole I had made Wednesday.
It was black.
Disgusting.
Ruined.

Who knew potatoes would go bad unless you soak them in salt water.
Hmm??
Lesson learned for next year.

We did get a little crafty.
I wanted the twins hand prints to frame to make into turkeys.

We kinda got the prints but I didn't get a chance to add the other colors to make them even mildly resemble turkeys.

Colton dove in head first.

And Chlo was showing off her new trick to daddy. Please disregard the snot pouring out of her nose.

After our mini craft session I got to work on the pies and pecan tarts.
So yummy.


My sis got in town and got to get some sugar from the twinnies.

The table got set.

I couldn't find any napkin rings I liked so I made these.

I like.

This one was mine......they were little baby corn twins. : )

The turkey got smoked. What you know about the Big Green Egg? Mmmmmmmm.

The troops piled in.

Of course Daddy was checking Fantasy.

Chloe had tea with her cousin.

And she loved it.

There was singing.

And my nephew!!!!!

And food.

 Lots of food.

And this is when it started. Mama got sick. And dude, I mean sick. I didn't eat much of anything for Thanksgiving dinner. But my Bubba did.

So I had one last cup of tea with my baby G and headed off to bed.

Where I stayed.

Until Monday.

And I only got out of bed Monday because I didn't have a choice.

Thank Jesus for my mom and husband.

Without them my kids would have been hanging from the chandalier because I was down for the count.

The good news is I am back and feeling better. And, I have most definitely eaten enough leftovers to make me feel like I didn't miss out too much on Thanksgiving dinner.