Daddy of the Year!!!

A special thank you to our daddy-o!!!! Mommy has been working late because of the craziness of "stroke season", real estate deals, wine and food festival south of broad home tours, blah-blah. I know...I must learn the how to say NO !! Daddy has been picking up the boys and been taking them on fun adventures. Just yesterday, daddy took the boys to the US Yorktown!! Daddy said they loved it until Turner got spooked in a dark room and started booking it out screaming " go home daddy-o, go home!". We love you daddy! Thanks for being the best daddy and husband in the world!!!

SSI BOUND: 2 1/2 years exactly!

So glad to be back..... it's been way too long!!!

Taylor playing with his scooter with his cousin, Jack.

Turner playing rough with his cousin, Elizabeth.

Lunch with Poppy and Granny. Buffet. Fatty, good food. Promise me we won't go again. I will never get back into the bikini!!! Turner loved the pepperoni's off his pizza , watermelon and gummy bears!!

Taylor enjoying his lunch of oyster crackers, watermelon and gummy bears. I know, right?

Turner loved the watermelon and lemonade!!

Mommy enjoyed some snuggling with Taylor at lunch.

More watermelon!!!

Peter Pan the Ballet with the cousins to support their cousin, Anna, as the star "dog".

Cousins Elizabeth and Kelly. Loved that when Anna came out, Kelly yelled " that's my sister!!". Much laughter from around.

Turner loving playing with daddy's glasses while Taylor was spooked by Peter Pan.

Daddy and Turner...

Reading books with Poppy-O!!! Good job, boys as you made us proud by telling Poppy all of the names of things. And yes, Poppy, we are working on our colors, thanks to daddy!!!

Who says the exersaucer is just for babies?? T and T fought over it all weekend!!!

Southeastern Wildlife Festival

The weather was beautiful and an afternoon with Boo and Gan was long overdue! The boys were pumped as we told them about the SEW Festival!
Turner running ahead in anticipation of the animals.

Taylor and Gan....two peas in a pod!!

Camels...how cool!! Next year, we will be aboard!!

Horses....

A real zebra! I was in love....

Zack the Yak.

Taylor in total awe of the animals.

T and T loving the animals.

Watching the goat scratch his ear. When you have an itch, scratch it!!!

Poor donkeys. Always get the rough jobs!!

Taylor: There you are! There was a short mishap when we lost Taylor. No need to mention who lost him, but after much panic, screaming, adult cursing and a near heart attck, he was found! Thank goodness he wasn't scared and didn't realize he had been lost.

Turner loves his Boo. Turner stated" Go home Boo and Gan. Boo Gan home. Bye bye cow." (He loves their upstairs playroom. )

The love of a Gan....

This ole llama was hungry despite the fact that they wouldn't sell us food because they "were not hungry". He would have jumped into my lap if the gate wasn't there. He was sniffing me and wanting something from me?

No nap today, mommy-o!!!

This was the before picture of the boys during friday's nap....thirty + minutes into the supposed "nap time" The after pictures would have been all of Turner's books, stufffed animals,trains and cars being thrown out of his crib into Taylor's with much giggling from Tay. After some age appropriate choice words by mommy, the boys rubbed their eyes and layed down for nap. Within minutes, they were finally out.

Out Boat on the lake....

Any daddy's dream...out boat on their lake with his sons!!! Daddy had to have this jon boat for his fresh water adventures. Daddy and his friend, Stephen, decided that both of our families needed another toy! So, together, they begged his wife Lori and I and here we are....the proud co-owners of a new jon boat. Daddy and the boys testing out the waters. Mommy is proud to report that daddy managed to get the boys and the boat into the lake all by himself!!! Daddy even remembered their life jackets!! Yeah daddy-o!!

Mommy is here...look at the fire in their eyes to be on the water and right outside of our house!!!

Happy Birthday, Aunt Micki!!

Guess who shares Valentine's Day with Cupid by having her birthday? AUNT MICKI!!!

Happy, happy Birthday!!

Pictures were few and far between tonight because the chocolate had Taylor bouncing WILD!!

" all done mommy-o"....

Thomas Show

When Ben picked up the boys, the buzz in the classroom was about the Thomas Show!! We met so mommy could get Turner, as mommy had a date night planned with Turner. Once Taylor discovered that Turner was going in my car and he was going with daddy, the chaos began!! ( Funny enough, Taylor LOVES his daddy. Daddy hung the moon. Normally, it is Tay who says "daddy's car". He must have sensed that he was missing out or heard about the show at school. )Taylor screamed and didn't want to go with daddy! Poor guy was hysterical, while Turner kept going " Go Thomas. Go Percy. Come mommy!!!"

* Mommy and her work friends planned this adventure. Mommy was worried about taking both boys, so she chose Turner, who is obssessed with Thomas!! As a twin mommy, it is hard to give each one individual time and we really try to do one on one activities with them when possible. As excited as I was to be with Turner, I felt that sadness of hurting Tay's feelings.
Turner and Mommy at the show: Turner was gun shy by the piercing bright lights, the kid's excitement and the strange man who mommy got to take our picture.

Turner still clinging to mommy. Mommy was loving that!!! Usually, I have to beg him to sit on my lap and love on me. He was holding my hands like my lover and nuzzling his head on my shoulder. See the smile on mommy's face!!

Borrowing Zander's light helped him open up!!!

Cookies always help too!!!

Caroline and Gaby taking a girl's only photo!!

Madison and sweet ole Zander

In conclusion: It was a hit!! Turner sat on my lap the whole time, holding my hands, snuggling with me, and in total awe!! Mommy was a bit disappointed in the show, but Turner was not. As we left he said " bye thomas, bye percy, bye topham hat, night-night diesel!" He clearly got it and loved it!!!

Taylor Update: Mommy and Turner came home before bedtime to find pizza in the refrigerator and two sleeping indians in daddy and mommy's bed with the tv on and ice cream all over little indian's outfit. So, I am sure Taylor had a great time with daddy! Pizza and ice cream out and movie in our bed, i assume???....I can't wait to hear more about it tomorrow!!!

Still sick...part 2

Poor Taylor seemed to get worse as the days came. Day 4 was the worst. Here, our little boo-bear fell asleep with his juicy and applesauce. If you are an avid reader, you know Tay must be sick if he isn't finishing his food.

Off to Dr. White we go.

Taylor: Piercing screams and flowing tears as he was weighed...32 pounds!!! Outbursts as they swabbed his nose . Flu and RSV negative. Many screams as she checked the ears and i held his arms down. Perfect ears. Lung clear. Bottom line: Virus. Bad virus. Sweet boy survived with extra love from his momma.

Turner: Happily, he held his monkey and jumped around in the stroller. Golden good boy even offered his monkey to Taylor as he screamed! Perfect angel.

Popsicle treat!!!

They begged to go outside. I bundled them up more than this photo & let them eat popsicles while I strolled them down the street. What was I thinking? POPSICLES in the winter cold. I was a delusional mommy. I am cold as I type looking at them!!!

Day 5: Fever gone for Tay! Yes!!! I had already planned to be off work because they have to be fever free for 24 hrs., so off to the aquarium we went. I gave them the choice of the Children's Museum or Aquarium and they said "fishes". Surprisenly, they loved it more than last week's visit!!!

Group photo with the fishes as Turner had meltdown over not wanting to pose with mommy.

Taylor having his meltdown over the photo with mommy. Unfair! I finally had someone offer to take our picture!!! I feel I have no photos with our boys!!!

Diapers.com boxes arrived so we played " Mommy draw it and they tell me what it looks like". Surprisenly, because I am a TERRIBLE artist, they got most of them right. You can see my drawings and what they said near it. No laughing, people!

Our last bath of vacation. Let's celebrate or cry! Popsicles in the tub. Although, I was exhausted from being a week long stay at home mom, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I finally feel I am in the groove and understand how to do it. I got us on a good schedule, planned fun, educational tasks and really enjoyed my one on one with them. Part of me is sad that the fun has to end, but the other part is glad to be heading back to work. I miss my patients, doctors, my awesome lunch group and seeing our boys have fun with their friends at school!!! I am so thankful for my awesome family and my sweet ole husband...I loved my night off with my dear friend Beth at Happy Hour , then winning $75 in a BIG BUNK-OFF at BUNKO!!! But even happier, to hear the quiet. No more coughing , wheezing, hawking up a lung or fussing from the boy's room. Night-night!

Sick days....or shall I say "a week"

Sick days are all about lounging. The week started (On wed.) with Turner having a fever. He was mildly cranky on Thursday, with a runny nose and mild cough. A little motrin and muccinex, it was all better.
THURSDAY: Taylor enjoying the " free day" as he was fine.

Turner, a little more quiet than usual, but happy with muffin and monkey.

Taylor still happy.

Friday am: Turner not well. I knew he felt bad when he agreed to be wrapped up with blankets and would not eat fresh watermelon and melons with toothpicks!

Taylor playing "Super Tay" in his Thomas jammies!

After a 4+ hour nap on Friday, Turner is better. " Super Turn".

"Nurn" as Tay calls him was so happy that he decided that baby monkey should be hidden in his cape too.

Sat am: Poor Tay!!! He was stricken with the plague!!! Poor kid was snotty and ten times worse than Turner!!!

Taylor wouldn't nap without his brother so mommy and daddy thought a car ride would surely do the trick!!! Chickfilia drive thru, here we come!!!

Who knew that Turn would take a nap too. This kid loves to nap in the car, boat or anything that moves, but hated the swing as a baby. Funny boy!!

One of many indoor activities over the week long "vacation".

A trip to the pet store....

The gerbils were their favorite. Turner kept asking please mommy. Gerbil Home. I tried to explain the two dog limit and no rodent rule.

T and T loving the white ferrett!!

Snacktime is much more fun with you have your cars crashing into one another!!