March for Babies

The forecast all week for Saturday was 87, blech.  But it changed to 80 on Friday, and it turned out to be completely overcast for the better part of the day.  So, it was probably only in the 60s on Saturday morning.

We had some chocolate milk, and had the annual chocolate milk spill.

And we had some grapes, too.  Apparently grapes are our new favorite food.

When we got back from our short loop walk, we did some coloring, and got some celebratory fire hats. Which we insist on wearing like baseball hats.

And then we just got a little bit crazy.

How did I forget this story?

After we went to the park with the grandmas and papas and Dan and Victoria, Victoria promised the girls ice cream.  We went to where an ice cream shop used to be...  The girls were so upset.  "Somebody ate all the ice cream and didn't leave any for us."  Luckily, there was a McDonalds around the corner.

So we get there, and order a whole bunch of hot fudge sundaes.  Greg, Dan, Victoria, and I ordered a shamrock shake.  So the sundaes come out first, and all is well.

And then the shakes come out.

And Emma starts screaming, "I'm thirsty!"

So Victoria gave Emma her shake.

And Emma drank the whole thing without taking the straw out of her mouth.

So, Papa asked if he could have Emma's sundae.

Oh heck no.

She only ate a few more spoonfuls, but she wasn't giving it up.

A well loved toy.

And on to more recent adventures...

Last weekend, my department had a suite at the local minor league baseball stadium.  The girls talked about it all day on Saturday (I just might have used it as incentive to go to bed on Friday night).  "When are we going to see the baseball player?"

 And immediately... they turned into our party animals.  They were clapping, cheering, dancing.  I had no idea they like baseball so much.  They were just so excited to be there.

The team's mascot is a frog, and the girls don't like the frog.  He came up to the suite, and they insisted on sitting in my lap.  And then, after that, it was always, "where is the frog?  He's not coming back, is he?"  Here, they're on frog patrol with daddy.

My dancing queen.

It got a little too loud for her.

Becca gives me the universal "my peanut cup is empty and I'm on frog watch" sign.

Even inside the suite, they wanted to be up against the doors, watching the game.

I love that they liked it so much.  Of course, having a suite is the way to go ... air conditioning, food and drinks delivered to you, tables to eat at.  Hopefully we can go back again soon.

And finally, the wedding.

So, after cleaning up Julie's head wound, it was about time to get ready for the wedding.  The girls were just dying to wear those dresses.  All day long.  "Mommy, do I get to wear my dress?  Can I put it on now?"  When they finally got them on and got their hair done, they were in heaven.  Spinning, twirling, admiring themselves in the mirror.

Emma

Rebecca was ready to go, and wanted to steal the show.

Julie

I look at this picture, and think that it's going to be one we look back on in 20 30 years when Emma gets married.

Rebecca

Finally, it was time for the show.  We were all pretty nervous about how it was going to go down.  We'd been talking about it for a while, and they seemed perfectly fine at the rehearsal.  Which ... now that I type that... reminds me that I don't think I ever posted pictures from the rehearsal...  But when it came time to do their thing, they were rock stars.  I was at the front waving at them (and taking pictures) in case they freaked out, but now I'm thinking we could rent them out as flower girls.  When Julie got to the front, she ran up to me and shouted, "Mommy, I did it!" and gave me a high five.

Luckily, it was a short ceremony, because they got a little restless, and were wandering around a bit.  Julie went into the row behind us for a bit.

I didn't take a whole lot of pictures at the reception, but we've got some pretty good videos.   I was really worried at how they'd handle the reception, because at the rehearsal, they wouldn't stay in their seats, and kept leaving the room and saying it was too loud and there were too many people talkin'.  So they filled up on all sorts of things (including calamari) at the cocktail hour, and I was pretty sure it was going downhill fast when the reception started.  They wanted to be held, wanted grandma and papa, and Emma kept saying she didn't want to stay.

But then, Aunt Victoria and Uncle Danny introduced them to the dance floor.  And oh my goodness.  They were party ANIMALS.  They danced and danced and danced.

They had an absolute blast, and I did too.  Julie did not want to leave the dance floor.  When she started getting tired, I'd ask if she wanted to go sit down or get a drink.  We'd start walking back towards the table, and then she'd drag me back to the dance floor.  She'd just stand there at the end.  As many times as I tried to drag her away, she'd drag me back.  She just wanted to be in the action.

I was so proud of them, and had such a great time with my family.

Pre-wedding

On the morning of the wedding, we went into downtown to see the sights keep the girls occupied and not yelling and screaming in the hotel.

The cherry blossoms/dogwoods/??? were in full bloom, and just absolutely beautiful.

Can you see those people on the bank of the river?  In navy blue uniforms?  Yeah.  Civil War reenactors.  Shooting off cannons.  Awesome.

They flocked to this display of 3 little animals with "welcome" signs.  I think it was an antique store.

I had the wrong lens on, so Becca kind of got cut off.  But I kinda like it anyway.

And, it wouldn't be a family wedding without a head injury.  So, did you notice that Julie had the polka dot sweatshirt jacket on while we were out?  Because at some point she fell, and cut her head.  No one knew she was bleeding.  We got back to the hotel and took her coat off, and saw this on her back.

Nothing on her coat; it had just run down her back.  Poor kid.  But hey, it was a wedding, so at least that one blood spot is in the shape of a heart.

Yeah, that.

The girls were better today.  I'll give them that.

But there was still plenty of this:

The girls came home from school today growling "en-oh-hollow."  They wouldn't tell us what it meant... or they didn't know.  Some quick thinking by Greg reminded us that they had a Spanish lesson today.  And thanks to the wonders of Google:

enojado:

adj. angry, cross; displeased; vexed 

 

v. anger, annoy, displease 

 

v. lose one's temper, get angry 

Keeping it real.

I started working on a post catching up on all the photos from the wedding.  But right now?  I just don't feel like it.  I'm so exhausted/fed up/overwhelmed/bitter/cranky.  The girls are testing every last nerve.  Sunday was awful.  Today wasn't much better.

They are whiny.  They don't listen.  They scream or shriek when they don't get their way.  They hit each other.  Today, Emma pushed Julie down the last three stairs (backwards).

I am trying not to raise my voice or spank them ... because that's the exact behavior I don't want them mirroring...  But I'm at my wit's end.  Mostly they just laugh at us.  Or scream.

Perhaps I'm missing having the support of our family when we were home for the wedding.  I miss my parents.  I miss my brothers.  I miss my sisters-in-law.  I'm bitter when I hear about other peoples' parents "taking the kids for the weekend."  I feel like we never get a break.  For as much time as Greg and I get to see each other, we barely spend any time together.

I'm exhausted, and can't remember what a full night of sleep feels like.  Even after one of us falls asleep in their room every night, there are usually 2 in our bed by morning.  When all 3 are in our bed, I get minimal sleep, and there's usually a fight involved.  On those particularly fun nights, I get kicked in the head.  Lately, I've taken to sleeping on the couch, since it gives Greg and the visitors more room.

And as I hit submit, at least one of them is kicking the wall upstairs.

The Grandmas and the Papas

Our trip up for my brother's wedding was a bit of a whirlwind.  We drove up last Wednesday.  Greg's parents also drove down, so for Thursday, the girls had quite the audience for their antics.

First, the girls got Papa G to build a stool for them for the bathroom.

Then, Papa set up an Easter egg hunt for them had trouble finding all of the eggs that the Easter bunny hid, and the girls are nothing if not helpful.

The weather was a little dodgy - periodic short little rain showers, so we were inside and back out all day long.  Inside, we played "memory" and helped clean up.

It did clear up for long enough to go to the park, though.  (Hm, it rained on the way there, and then it started raining again as we were leaving...)

Julie monkey

They were brave and tried out some new things that they weren't big enough for last time, like this little bridge.

They were also spider monkeys on the rope web.

Emma wasn't too sure of it though - that look of terror on her face is genuine.  She did just fine, though.

Aunt Victoria and Uncle Dan got all three girls on the tire swing.  Oh, they loved it!  Look at their hair flying!

They were so dizzy when they got off ... stumbling around.  It was pretty funny. 

Uncle Dan and Becca.  They get along a lot better now that there aren't diapers to change.  :)

I went to the Disney store while we were there, since we don't have one around here, and the girls are just flat out obsessed with Mickey Mouse Club House.  I got the girls some Minnie Mouse cars, which they loved, and raced around the house with Grandma and Papa, and then later with Uncle Dan and Aunt Victoria.  (I love these pictures Greg got from floor level.)