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mom things:

• why is it that if I make a ham and cheese sandwich with mayo for Cailen I think it's an okay lunch, but if she eats the whole thing as separate pieces... a little piece of ham, a little square of cheese and a piece of bread with mayo on it I feel like it's not a substantial meal...(I did try to get her to eat a banana too, but that's besides the point) Is anyone weird like me? Does a disassembled sandwich feel like your kid is merely picking for lunch instead of eating? How bizarre... I gotta get over this.
  
• I love washing baby clothes. This time I tried to save myself the pre-treat stage by filling the whole washer with warm water and 3 scoops of oxy clean, I was going to let everything soak overnight. I went to check a couple hours later, and apparently I let the washer sit wrong. I left the lid open thinking it would fill and then stop, but it drained on me!! Now, I had a whole load of wet, unscrubbed stained baby clothes... and only ONE more scoop of oxy clean!! So I used that w/ detergent, soaked it, sent the cycle through and had to pick through and see what could be dried without rewashing. I had to rewash/scrub a few things, but the good news is that a dress that had an age old stain on it is suddenly stainless! Woohoo. Well, I just scrubbed ALL of my laundry, unfortunately there was a second load. My fingertips are blistered and I still need more oxy or pretreater or both, but the initial dish soap step is done (because the babies are sleeping!) I have a rack of wet laundry drying and waiting to be rewashed... I don't usually do things this way... Oh, the greasy butter stain came out of Cailen's shirt.... but the blue Oxy clean streaks that I got on that shirt are still there... If oxy clean gets almost anything out... what gets oxyclean stains out???????
• I'm blogging about ham sandwiches, laundry and stains...I better get a life!
  

Some tid bits...

• Today we went grocery shopping, what was the one item Cailen insisted on opening??? Think about it people.... the box of (generic) BUTTER (see blog below)!! What's with this kid? Was it coincidence? I think not.
• I changed Riley's diaper while she was on the floor. she seemed content so I let her lay there for a minute. I went to clean the table where Cailen was water painting with her baby doll. As I finished, I picked up the baby doll and walked toward Cailen. The baby on the floor started to wiggle. I freaked out for a second thinking I was holding Riley (as I usually am) and the baby doll was on the floor (as she usually is.) I thought the doll was on the floor and moving...had to do a double take. Weird moment.
• I bought fly paper today, though I think I've attacked most of the "racists" (see right hand column-the racist thing you will only get if you watch The Office...so get watchin' people! Diversity Day episode.) I think the population is starting to dwindle, but I will not lose anymore sleep over this war.

Best Friends...Sisters...a bond I've never known

The other day we were getting up early and trying to straighten out last minute clutter because we had people coming to look at the house. I put Riley down on Cailen's toddler bed so that I could put some laundry away. When Cailen woke up, she thought it was so cool that Ri Ri was hanging out in her bed. I was going to get them dressed so we could leave the house, but Cailen got so upset when I tried to pick up Riley. NOT because she wanted me to hold her, this time it was because she really just wanted to hang out on her bed with her baby sister. She didn't want me to change her (Riley's) pajamas either... her sentiment was "just leave her alone mom! I want to spend time with Ri Ri!" So here they are, hanging out in the morning sunlight... on the quilts made by Rachael (mentioned in former blog). They look like they are chit-chatting about life, telling secrets, and someday maybe we'll have a similar picture only they'll be sipping on a cup of tea and nibbling some double chocolate almond biscotti....(and wearing shirts-I think I just ruined that moment.)...sorry, I swear my kids do own clothes... it's summer! They are babies :)

Inspired by my special little Dough Ball...

Tryin' to butter me up for a bath?

I was cooking dinner this evening and had a veggie platter, some utensils, a new stick of butter, etc. out on the counter. Cailen was wandering around doing her own thing. At some point I heard the trash can lid close, so I told her to come away from the trash can. I continued to hold Riley and do my last minute cooking and when I turned around I noticed Cailen playing with something. Earlier she had her play dough out, but this was yellow and slimey...my stick of butter! (she was throwing away the butter wrapper earlier, destroying the evidence.....how thoughtful and neat freakish(?) of her) and her warm little hands were melting it...all over! I usually buy generic but kiersten bought this and it was name brand Cabot butter...(how wasteful) So I called Kris (the clean up crew) and grabbed the camera...after dinner figured might as well let her play in the pool and then it was bath time for both...Ri Ri got hiccups and was less than thrilled with the occasion. I haven't taken any (?) bath pics of Ri yet, so despite the tears, I had to take this shot. Sorry Ri. Cailen looked guilty even after her bath didn't she?

proud to say...

i lost a little sleep/nap but i have 15 awesome pages scrap booked for riley...none for cailen yet, but it's a start...i'm almost all up to date for riley....sad thing, 15 pages???she's only been here for 6 weeks... i better slow down on pictures, my budget can't handle this....i can start back tracking soon to get cailen's done if i keep going....there's SO many of cailen though...

A cute aftermath and a beautiful surprise

Today was Kris's birthday and in addition to his b'day cards and gifts of sorts, we were given the prettiest baby quilt I have ever seen, made by our awesome niece Rachael. For our wedding present we were given an awesome quilt by his sister and later Rachael made us a pillow to match it. We were impressed because she was quite young at the time. When Cailen was born, Rachael made us a quilt and pillow for her crib. We loved it and I still marvel at it. Now Rachael made one for Riley and I must say the colors are so beautiful and soft on the eyes. This quilt is just so beautiful I can't believe it and I am so grateful for it...What I haven't mentioned is that Rachael is only (I'm guessing) eleven at the oldest....? Awesome, awesome, awesome, this gift really made my day. At the hospital, Rachael brought a basket of baby toiletries and rubber duckies and a hand made card saying that a better gift was on the way. I hoped it was another quilt. I didn't want to assume, but I really, really, really wanted another one of her hand made quilts... I couldn't believe she had it done already. She's amazing. We love her. Thanks Rachael!

Late last night both babies fell asleep on me...too much fun in the sun.

A Successful Doctor's Appointment for the girls

Neither of my girls cried at the doctor yesterday. Neither got shots either, but usually Cailen shrieks from the doctor coming anywhere near her. I had prepared myself for a loud visit, but no such "luck." It was refreshing, I was so proud of them.

Riley was actually calm and happy while being checked... So, Riley started her rolly polly life at 9 lb. 6 oz. and is now a whoppin' 12 lb. 10 oz. At this age Cailen had only weighed in at 10 lb. 11 oz.. Riley has grown 3 1/4 inches. Her head is another 3 cm. She is thriving and wonderful.

Cailen is 26 pounds. Same height apparently as last time, so I guess Adrianna has a bit of time to catch up. Hurry Adrianna, HURRY!!

The best part of the doctor's visit for me was to hear that Riley has none of those metabolic diseases they check for at birth, the best part for Riley I think was hanging out like a nudey, and for Cailen: picking out a dum dum lolly pop. Who doesn't love that?

This is the thank you card I drew for Dr. Skory....

Riley's hospital pic

cailen's hospital pic

how tired am i??

after only two days sans a nap, while nursing and sifting through all the "pieces of flare" on facebook, while adding them and sending them to people, reading them and what not, i fell asleep sitting up on my couch, while doing all this....i'm becoming a narcoleptic aren't i?

On the Joov.

well, we have our new Joovy double stroller. i wasn't sure how it was going to work after a walk w/ my mom turned into each of us carrying a baby & my mom pushing an empty double stroller. so i hypothesized that the best time of the day to go for a walk is after breakfast when Riley is still sleepy (if she notices she's in her car seat she screams!) and long before Cailen needs a nap because when she's sleepy she NEEDS me to hold her whether I can or not. Cailen was very emotional about everything under the sun this morning (i asked myself if puberty at 19 months was possible) and so I didn't think a walk would be possible, but once Riley fell back to sleep and Cailen was happy again I gave it a shot, and it worked! (I realize my sentences are running on, forgive my grammar, I only have so much time to type here people!) We took a nice long walk, when Cailen got tired of standing she gestured for me to hold her but somehow I convinced her to sit in on the bench seat and strapped her in without protest... I got to walk as far as I was energetic enough to go in the warm sun....So we got home, Riley was still asleep and Cailen just sat in the stroller, I walked away to make her some lunch because her emotional morning included refusing breakfast... I came back to check on her... still sitting in the stroller. Gesturing to wear her elmo hat again and signing please. "You want to go for another walk?" "A smile with an afirmative "Hmmm." was the answer. So I walked almost the entire walk all over again. I was spent. Riley was still sleeping and Cailen, when we got home, still sat signing please for a 3rd walk.....hopefully i will be able to enjoy the weather, some exercise and not feel like i wasted my money,yeah!