adventures in 2nd law of twins

so the tone of this space has been a little unintentionally heavy lately...good but heavy.
so i'm gonna lighten things up a bit.

i previously wrote this post on the 1st law of twins. so this is my follow up & addition to.

while i was away MIA this summer tending to my boys...it was mainly because i was experiencing what i call the 2nd law of twins. what is it you ask, let me share.

2nd Law of Twins states:

you cannot have one twin without the other. 

especially if pertaining to, but not exclusively limited to,

A. if there is a mess to make

B. a lap to be sat upon

and because pictures are worth 1000 words, please review the following as proof in defining this law.

disclaimer: no twins were hurt in or during any of these events

see!
y'all these were just pictures i snapped in a 2 month time period. when i said this summer was busy taking care of my fam...now you understand i was just cleaning up the trail these 2 left behind.

these 2 have gotten in more trouble than my older 2 ever did at this age.
some may call it teamwork...
but in our house we call it the second law of twins.

raising boys: fighting sleep

when you're a little boy

you're days are full of:

running

jumping

climbing

wrestling

playing cars/trains

drinking milk

and you fight sleep...

until that moment it just overcomes you. 

psst!!
help us get into the top 25
by voting 1x daily until may 23!

found: brothers playing together

found: brothers nicely playing together

It's these types of moments of motherhood that I love...finding the boys quietly playing together. 

And also make me ever so thankful for my iPhone!

because these moments are fleeting. 

literally they all started crying not 2 minutes after i snapped this picture. 

but when i'm old & grey and sharing memories of their childhood with my grandkids,

 i want to share these moments, not the fussy, whiny, hot messes they can be on the regular.
we've got plenty of that to go around.
amen & amen!


He hears my heart that cries out for a tight bond of friendship amongst these boys.
He gives me glimpses of peace in their relationship reassuring me that it won't always
be full of battles & striving to out do one another. 

beach adventures: embracing routine

wow! it's been a crazy couple of weeks full of visitors, a getaway to the beach & even some sick buddies in the mix. and this morning as we fall back into our normal, our routine, i find myself at peace.  because as nice as vacation is, the lack of routine nearly breaks us all.

i can honestly say that i never thought i'd get to this place in life. i've always bucked schedules. i personally feel they're too restrictive. BUT i have found a place in my heart (& life) for routine. in fact, i've come to see that not only do my boys thrive on routine, but so do i. now i'm not talking about a daily schedule laid out by the minute. i'm more referring to the outline of a day, things to be expected...there will be meals, naps & picking {ben} up from school. i do think it was having twins that created this need in me...that and having 4 kids.

but it is still my goal in life to never be tied down to a schedule. although, i'm sure that will ebb & flow as {ben} enters kindergarten next fall & the others start preschool. i mean i can only be in denial of the inevitable for so long, but i'll enjoy it while it lasts.

but i guess that also means i have yet to figure out how to get regular posts up. still working on that new year's resolution. until then, i leave you with some shots of our little getaway at the beach house.

dear paci adventures::it's time to go!

its official folks, we are leaving the baby stages behind.

there are no more paci's in our house! and while i am thrilled about it...part of me is sad to no longer see a paci simply because it is a visible sign that they are still babies. cause people, i've only ever had babies in my house for the last 4 years. and it's the end of an era...

we have truly loved the pacifier in our house. all the boys have had one. {matty} liked his the least & only took it for the first few months. while {ben} being the first & all loved his tremendously & had his til he turned 3. 

no i have no real magic tricks that keep a child from screaming bloddy murder at night or nap time the first day. or even an occasional night weeks later.  that being said, there's never "a perfect time" to do it. just decide to stick with it. i've done it 2 ways...a planned intervention with {ben} & just plain cold turkey with {sam} & {gabe}.

both have their pros & cons, although i'm a glutton for punishment and would say i prefer to just make the transition after i've lost every paci in the house. and this last time i did it while {matt} was away on a trip in january. i'm crazy like that. i didn't have time to stress about the process because let's be honest, it's always harder on us moms. i'm not entirely sure why. maybe it's the crying we know will accompany or the lack of sleep & grumpy babies. or maybe its the fact that it is a visible mark which loudly proclaims, I'M NOT A BABY ANYMORE! *sigh* 

and usually about the time you decide to take away the pacifier, there's always some other baby item that is getting transitioned out as well...diapers, bottles or maybe even a crib.

a few things to remember...

* once you start, just stick with it
* they will cry...and scream

* it will end...usually much sooner than you expected

* make sure there are no secret stashes of hiding pacis...cause they will be found, by you or your child

* PRAISE THEM! as humans, we all want/need to know that the pain we are enduring is worthwhile in the end!

sidenote: i'm pretty sure i'll still find a paci hiding in some long forgotten place in months to come

Our family fishing adventure

With Matt's new and consistent work schedule, we have truly found our weekends to be more precious...and actually available! So we are trying to do some sort of family outing, ya know explore & take advantage of our new town.

We skipped going to church this week. It's had it's ups & downs but that's a story for another time. instead we packed up the boys and ventured for a fishing trip. Yeah, we're crazy like that. 4 little boys+water+hooks can be a scary combo.

And while there are probably a million & 1 fantastic fishing spots down here in the "redneck riviera" as my father inlaw calls it, we just don't know them yet. So we set out to a place that we knew would be great at our first attempt. The park that sits across from {matt}s grandparents old house.

yes, it was really that foggy.

{gran} & {pop} have both gone to be with Jesus and we haven't been by the house since new owners have moved in. It was a little strange. But this trip was different. We had 4 little boys that are so full of life & adventure that the memories here were sweet & full of excitement to have our own kids there. Digging in the sand. Running down the pier. Squealing as they ran around the playground.













While the day was full of fog & no fish. We all were worn out by lunch. I've come to learn that the success of these trips isn't about whether or not any fish are caught, but that we are all enjoying our time together...even if it's spent untangling fishing lines. It's about giving my boys a chance to do little boy things.

{ben} loved the worms.
i definitely heard him say to a worm, 'come here, ya slimy jerk!'
what?! haha!

Give boys room to explore & the possibilities become endless.
So what if their pants are soaked because they didn't wipe the slide off first...they were enjoying the moment.
Or their clothes & shoes get muddy...they were running & playing.
Maybe they're hot & sweaty & smell like outside...they're doing what boys were made to do!

{matt} said he used to play in this same spot for hours.
i. love. this!

- Posted from my iPhone

single parent sundays :: fresh fall air

bed hogs slept in the middle of my bed all week

when {matt} was sick a few weeks back, i said it would be better to have a sick kid than a sick spouse. well turns out i got my wish...we all minus {ben} & including my parents got the stomach bug last week. karma just kicked my butt! it was terrible. not as bad as when we got it back in march, but still bad. my mom drove up the day i got sick. and my dad dropped by during the weekend...and they still got it. it's the kinda bug that lingers even after you aren't feeling sick. the worst! so we stayed home. inside. for days! did i mention i'm currently in a 2 bedroom condo?! cabin fever is an understatement.

{grammie} & {matty}

on sunday we were all feeling pretty much back to normal, but knowing that my parents had just gotten sick, we didn't want to chance taking this nasty bug onto church. so we stayed home. sure that meant no rushing to get out the door in time or arguments over outfits, but i was still doing it by myself. nothing had changed. the monotony of the week was digging in deep under my skin. thankfully, sunday brought beautiful fall weather here in southeastern virginia & i knew that if i didn't get out of the house we would all pay for it. i dressed my grumpy self & my grumpy tribe of boys and off we went to explore the great outdoors. ok, maybe not so much explore, but a walk to the park.

not sure why, but i feel like they look a lot like me here.

{gabe} wanted a ride back

 and getting out just once just wasn't enough, so we went for another walk later that afternoon. {auntie kate} came to the rescue again and took the little guys & i took the big ones. i tried to make them sit on this bench and act like they loved each other. this is the look i get from {gabe}. ha! shoulda known, we were all still a little on the grumpy side.

and turns out, that both {sam} & {matty} were cutting molars too. no wonder i feel like my hearing has been compromised.  i mean, there's a lot of crying that happens in this house normally we warn all those who dare to enter the door! but put sick AND teething buddies....yeah we reached a whole new level. 

thankfully the majority of us are on the up & up. {matty}s gums are still getting torn to pieces and he is more than sufficiently reminding us of this, but the bug has passed and we are enjoying the 80 degree weather. 

so last week was full of plenty of things to be grumpy about but like i said before, i'm trying to be thankful for something every day...even if it seems that there's nothing but baby puke filling it. and since all the days last week just got jumbled into one, i'll just be generally thankful. that's good enough right?!

• a husband who literally gets his hands dirty to help out at home
• that {ben} made it through without so much as a sneeze
• my husband that takes the day off to watch the kids & take care of me
• that same husband can get more done on his day off at home than i usually can 
• for parents who come to help...and get sick in return but wouldn't have it any other way
• for new windows to open & air out the house
• this amazingly gorgeous fall weather
• the colorful leaves that make looking out my window a little more enjoyable
• checking BIG things of a to-do list
• watching that to-do list get shorter & shorter

it's about that time again...or is it?!

{ben} was 15mo when we found out that {gabe} was on the way.

{gabe} was 16mo when {sam} & {matty} were born.

today the 21st. today, the twins are 15mo...

so what you ask?!

A. i love seeing all the boys at the same age. it lets you see all the similarities & differences more clearly.
B. well here's a bit of a confession...ready...
i have a slight case of baby fever...
there i said it. no taking it back now.

i know. i know. what am i thinking?! it definitely is NOT time for me to get pregnant again.
and yet i can't help myself. seeing all these new little babies everywhere...it melts the mommy heart in me.

hear me out for a sec!

to try or not to try for a girl?!
i only truly have the slightest inclination, like 15%, for a baby girl. and the 85%...deathly afraid it would be another boy. i mean just the thought of 5 boys...scary! and as of late, {ben} has told me that he wants a baby sister. it freaks me out when kids say stuff like that cause so many times they are right on point. i'm just thankful he didn't ask if there was a baby in my belly!

the whole 1 baby vs. 2 babies thing:
also, the last pregnancy was twins people. i won't say it was terrible, but it was hard. my little body worked in over drive. i know that i could totally handle another pregnancy with less gripping and more action. that belly wouldn't hold me back!

and just having 1 newborn. solo bebe. that would be awesome. yes there would still be lack of sleep and diaper changes. but what i have to compare it to now...i mean i'm already changing diapers so nothings really changing in that neighborhood anytime soon.

and the breastfeeding...ha! once you've tandem nursed twins you've climbed the highest mountain. although, i might just miss snuggling 2 babies then...might...maybe...ok, probably. cause who doesn't love double the baby snuggles?!

we're young. the boys are young. 
yes, we both are only 28 & i have several more years of prime childbearing years ahead of me. and while we do have age on our side, i also don't want to look or feel as though i've aged 20 years overnight. there are some days that my personal space limit was reached and crossed as i became a human jungle gym to all of the boys. but we also have time to sit on it and wait. these twins may literally break me. and think on this, i would have...a 5 year old, a 3 year old & 2-2 year olds...then plus a newborn. now doesn't that sound like fun?!


and while all of these are great and valid points...

i don't see that any of them are a good enough reason to have another. i'm trying to enjoy my boys. i feel as though i've missed out on the 1 year old stage with both {ben} and {gabe} so now i'm doing it double time with {sam} and {matty}. we've talked about it. continually. i think it's an evolving decision. we have given ourselves a couple of years to finalize the decision.

and the decision is...

for now it is that our quiver is full with 4 boys. sorry to disappoint the few of you who were hoping i'd be making a different kind of announcement. sorry, no little beauty joining our tribe at this time. i'm learning to accept the fact that the twins were more than likely my last pregnancy. my last baby experience. my last set of firsts. and while i barely remember most of those times, i will not selfishly fulfill my need to excel at being pregnant. and in that, my mind & heart find peace. and excitement for a new season. one that is no longer full of babies and feeling left behind to tend to the little one(s).


so here's to me & my 5 guys!

adventurous attempts at kite flying :: take 2

i spent some time last weekend sitting on a screened-in-porch at a gorgeous beach house we had a worship retreat with the crew from NLVB in the quaint town of duck, nc. it was one of those sweet moments that i wanted to capture in a bottle and keep forever. the breeze blowing. the kids playing sweetly. the warmth of the sun on my legs. the sound of the ocean as it crashes against the shore. sigh.

it was everything i love & adore about fall days.

{matty}, {gabe} & {sam}
& the one in pink is the
closest thing to a daughter i have {hayden}

{ben} got distracted by a little brother &
then refused to take anymore pictures with me. grump! 

see it's supa dupa windy in the outer banks. guess the wright brothers knew what was up when they picked this place when trying to figure out how to fly. yes, kitty hawk, north carolina peeps. look it up. well we decided that we should take advantage of the wind here too. and so out we set on our kite flying adventure :: take 2!

first stop...the infamous kitty hawk kites store to buy a real kite. and by that i mean made of nylon not just plastic. {ben} picked out this stealth bomber kite.

next stop...a park. the best place to fly the kites in the outer banks is on the beach. but with so many little ones and the sand & water, i wasn't so thrilled with that idea. instead we headed up to corolla, nc by the lighthouse. they have a huge open field where we knew we could fly the kite without trees or power lines in the way. it was perfect!

it was gorgeous kite flying conditions. {gabe} & {ben} both got to fly the kite. they were so pumped. stoked would be a better description. eventually dinner time came and we were all ready to leave in search of food. much more sucessful than the previous trip. if you have no idea what i'm talking about, read this.

it's times like these i'm thankful for my iphone. between {matt} & i we got some great shots of our adventuring....all in all, a great trip to the outer banks!

me retrieving the twins from their escape

{matt} with the twins

{ben}'s trick kite flying & his fans in awe & wonder

{ben}'s favorite thing to do...fly the kite with his feet. he's totally my kid. i did stuff like that all the time when i was younger. and one time it got away from him and {matt}, the wonderful dad that he is, went running and then flopping after it as the kite began to fly away. i laughed so hard i couldn't breathe!

******

remembering to embrace the camera! have you lately?!

adventurous attempts at kite flying

its always quite the excursion when we go out with all 4 of the boys...especially when we go to the park. we haven't quite figure out how to manage them all yet, but we're getting better at it. although, there is one park here that {ben} loves to go to and the playground area is huge. and of course that means lots of fun too. it stresses {matt} & i both out because we can't let the babies down to just to run around. so we both hold a twin and chase one of the big boys. yes, it is as exhausting as it sounds. but it makes for happy and just as exhausted boys.

but the best part is the 'mountain' that the boys can run and climb. and although i use the word 'mountain', it's a glorified hill that is named mount trashmore. yep we play on an old landfill. and it's the best place to fly a kite in town. so after about 20 minutes of playing on the playground, we sent the boys up the 'mountain'.

{sam} & {matty} were trying to catch up
and instead fell down.

{ben} can just about make it to the top without stopping.

{gabe} wears out pretty quickly. the grass + 'mountain' climbing = needs to hold momma or daddy's hand to finish the race.

{sam} & {matty} get carried to the top and then let go for wandering. but it seems that all they wanted to do was inspect what i thought were aerated pieces of dirt & later upon further inspection found it was actually goose poop. so gross! so i was busy trying to keep them from putting it in their mouths.

it starts like this. watching intently
while dad puts the kite together...

{matt}bought a kite just for this particular family outing. a cheap one. and let's just say, lessoned learned, cheap kites don't fly well. so it took a while to put together and stay together. we got it up a few times but nothing really long enough for {ben} to have a turn flying it. {ben} thought we were just playing a really long and non-funny joke on him.

and eventually they start to scatter.

but isn't that just how family outings work...80% craziness with 20% successful memory making moments?! it was just fun to watch the boys run and explore the 'mountain'. i snapped a few pictures on my iphone and that was good enough for me. i even remembered to make sure i was in a few of them so the boys can see that i was there...even if all they remember is their dad's attempts at flying a kite.

me wrestling the {twins}
in attempt to keep them away from the goose poop.

and for your viewing pleasure...a video clip of what it's like to go with us to the park. enjoy! and yes, it's ok to laugh. 

*******

done in effort to learn how to embrace the camera..