Protecting Jake

Oh the struggles of being 2...

Today in the mail the boys recieved cards from their grandparents. Just a little special valentine card sign with love by Grandpa and Grandma. The boys' love for cards hasn't changed, they were so excited to see that Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates was on the front of one, and Alvin & the Chipmunks cover the front of the other. Alvin used to be the boys favorite. They'd sit in their swings and watch Alvin all hours of the night-- eventually falling asleep. Alvin, Theodore, and Simon seriously are half the reason I have my sanity. I know what you're thinking, and yes-- according to medical professionals I am still "sane". Well, today was a different story. Tonight Logan started out sharing his Jake card, but soon I found him running throughout the house in an attempt to keep it out of the hands of his brother. I guess something's in life are so important-- you can't possibly risk it getting into the wrong care. In Logan's defense, Landon is awfully rough on stuff. Logan searched desperately for a hidden location in which he brother wouldn't touch it. First he started out by sitting in between my legs as I cooked supper. Next he tried to put it under his plate. He finally came to the conclusion that he was going to have to guard that pirate both day and night---

Speaking of night, that Jake card is temporarily stowed under the blanket, in the bed of it's 30 pound security guard. 

Rest peacefully little man, because tomorrow the "war" will continue... That's 
tough life of being a 2 year old twin.

Bedtime Bandit

Time: 8:54pm and I find myself laying quietly on the floor of the bedroom I put two little boys down to sleep in 1 hour ago. Thanks to my bedtime bandit I'm missing out on the best night of television all week. Haha, so her I am -- after coming back up the stairs 6ish times. I've been pondering my next plan of attack, and I think I may have the answer.... But first, let me just say that this "idea" is officially copyrighted-- (yes, it's that great)

I need a motion detecter that will set off a recording of my voice saying, "get back in bed!!" Genius! See that's all it takes, Landon, get back in bed. Landon, get back in bed. *5 minutes later* landon, get back in bed. Now, I'm afraid this little invention of mine would need to be used often, so the best scenario in my opinion is to make it solar power chargeable. So as it is saying "get back in bed" during naptime... It is also soaking up the sun and getting powered up for the night shift. Just some food for thought.

Today was another "burr cold" day according to Logan, so we stayed cooped up inside. This past week we have got between 12"-16" of snowfall, and winter's chill came along with it. We've gotten in a little snow play time outside, and their feelings about the white stuff have changed! Logan no longer cries by the thought of it touching his boots, and he also has managed to learn to walk in the stuff! His favorite thing is eating the snow, and it's our hope that he continues to eat just the white kind. 

Landon of course has always been a

Snow fan. His love continues, and he has the need for speed. Flying down the side hill on the sled is his favorite activity and the smile on his face is priceless. He doesn't however like to keep his gloves on, they're just to difficult to maneuver in. 

---- this blog was my way of having a baby storybook for the boys. Someday I hope they enjoy it as much as you all- and I felt it was appropriate to write about the first true love for snow! Tomorrow is suppose to be 40 degrees, so I challenge everyone to get outside and be a kid again... There's just nothing like the wonder of winter. 

"Tow"

A special blog for a very special family member. I felt it only fitting-- after such a big day, that I introduce everyone to Landon's best buddy, 'ole pal... "Cow". Or as he says it... "Tow".

Cow is the fluffy four legged ball of softness that can usually be found tucked under the arm of Landon. Not to confuse him with Logan's black cow, Landon's has brown spots... And he knows the difference! Cow is super soft, and is beginning to bald in his old age. He's been in the family since the boys' 1st birthday, and has been loved every day since. On trips to grandma and grandpa's house, outside to play, and he's even had pancakes for breakfast. He gets snuggled in every night, and takes up half the bed! 

Today cow went on a big adventure. I started prepping Landon yesterday, telling him cow needed a bath. First thing this morning, Landon took him to the bathtub. Well, I thought he was mentally prepared... So down the stairs we went and we loaded him in the washer. The next hour was the longest hour of Landon's life. Pictures tell the story.... So here it is. 

Wowza... He survived but he'll probably never let him go again. One thing's for sure--- this boy knows what love is. 

Mission accomplished.

Partner in crime

Double the giggles, double the grins, and double the trouble! 

DURING NAPS---Landon has been caught numerous times messing around with toys when he's been told to stay in his bed. Today I realized that Logan isn't as innocent as we once thought. He was caught red handed having Landon doing the dirty work helping him smuggle toys into his bed. On the monitor I hear some not so quiet whispering.. Which can only mean one thing: somebody's up to no good!

Low and behold, I catch Landon out of bed again, but wait... Logan's still in his BUT-- he's pointing to which toys he needs Landon to get him! See, there's the difference between the boys. Landon doesn't care if he gets caught. In fact in most cases he giggles and runs back to bed. Logan however is smart enough he knows Landon will get the blame. 

Oh Lord, please help us as we raise these two little partners in crime!

Disclaimer.

The pressures of a stay at home mom, they're just ridiculous! I'm sorry to inform you all that I am not awesome. So, sometimes I feel as if I need a posted warning sign at the door.... Actually, maybe it should be a full disclaimer. 

----------------- disclaimer ------------------

Congratulations. You've officially made it to the door which means-- you've most likely met our welcoming committee. Never mind the rodents in the yard, those kisses you received from our pups were your official "howdy". You won't walk into our place and find crystal clear windows. You may not have a chair to sit in right away. Heck, you may not even have a safe place to sit your coffee. Instead what you'll find is a house with a mom who loves her family more than life itself. You'll see two happy kids running around most likely without shirts on. You'll find finger prints adorning the windows like those beautiful clings you can find at the store. The laundry will be done, but don't plan on seeing it folded and put away. It most likely has been folded, but it's been rearranged since. That thing sitting in my dining room, it's called a treadmill, in other words-- the laundry catcher.

 Don't expect a skinny fit soccer mom. Our mom's a farm kid mom with mud boots at the door, a roast in the crockpot, and droppings of popcorn scattered throughout. Please don't set your beverage down, because once it's out of your hands-- it's officially free game. In fact, expect for a tug at your jeans saying "ppeeeaasssee". Don't be rude, Mom's teaching us how to share and you can too. 

Our mom runs on two things. Laughter and love. Dad runs on three things: laughter, love, and Mountain Dew. We're twin boys if you can't handle tractors, cows, and boogers-- this ain't the place to visit. We burp, and giggle at the table, but always fold our hands to pray. We believe in God. We believe in miracles-- simply because we see it first hand. If you don't -- please find your way back to the car. 

We bounce on the couch, have been caught dancing on the table-- and have found ourselves in time out a time or two. 

Hugs are a must, but be prepared for the kisses. If I lick you, it's probably because I just got a kiss from my dogs. It's best that you don't think about that one. If you smell something a little funny, please by our guest! I'll retrieve a diaper from the drawer, but bring along the wipes for the special door prize! 

Welcome to our crazy, sometimes out-of-control home. There's a good chance we've got cookies in the oven, but hands off, those are the one things-- we don't share. Enter at your own risk, and be sure to shield yourself because yes, we play ball in the house. 

Come on in! We're always looking for someone to read a story with... Most likely from the view atop your shoulders.

-Landon & Logan

Treasure hunting....

I am learning very quickly that every day is a new "treasure hunt" with these two. So, here's my top 10 treasure hunts to date. 


#10 -- sippy cups. I absolutely dread these things getting lost. Most the time the boys know exactly where they are, and they will surface when they need a drink. BUT, if you go hunting for them yourself, you can about guarantee they'll be in the smallest hiding place possible.


#9 -- remote control. Oh, this one is a favorite hide and seek item. 9 times out of 10 it can be found shoved down in between the cushions of the couch, but the second best guess would be the bottom of the toy box.


#8 -- the singing toy. When the boys go down for nap, it's pretty peaceful... until the curse of the annoying toy returns. It typically is the creepy remote control car that drives itself, or a singing book that got shoved, you know where --- the toy box. It's your mission (if you dare) to find that book before the sounds of The Wheels on the Bus drives you straight to the nut house.


#7 -- the 4th shoe. It's highly important to always find 4 shoes before you even attempt to put on the first pair, on the first kid. Why you might ask.. because if you don't have two full sets of shoes, a meltdown will happen. The yellow shoes Logan has on better be the same yellow shoes Landon wants to wear. Don't even think you can get away with them wearing separate styles, I pick and choose my battles, and that's one I don't want to fight-- ever again. So if a certain shoe happens to disappear you can just plan on not wearing that style until it's found.


#6 -- socks. Every mom's nightmare. I'm not sure if my washer or dryer eats them, but it's just short of a miracle if I get a load of laundry folded without a 'single' remaining.


#5 -- stocking caps. How in the world we can have about a dozen stocking caps but when we are in a rush to go somewhere, we can't find a single one... (and we need 2!!)


#4 -- the crayon. I've always colored right along side of the boys -- for the simple fact that I don't want to write a blog someday about taking crayon off my furniture, or walls. Recently, a red crayon has turned up missing. I've looked high and low -- and it has yet to be found. Please say a prayer for my couch that I find it before my ornery little Landon does....


#3 -- diapers. Of course it's never the clean diapers that come up missing... it's the one that my Logan has decided for whatever reason he doesn't need to wear anymore. The hunt is on. AND it's an even bigger hunt because you're not exactly sure what treasure will await you when you do find it!


#2 -- my cell phone. My little helper who puts everything away, is pretty darn good at finding mom's phone. On the table, the floor, the chair... not where it's suppose to be. Sooo, into the toy box it usually goes. I have enough issues keeping track of my phone without the help of a size 8 foot running away with it. After months of this dilemma, I've found a secret code to assist in this treasure hunt. Or maybe I should call it a secret song. When anyone calls my phone it sings "do you wanna build a snowman...." WINNING! Thanks to Disney, and a slight love for the movie Frozen, my phone is found instantly and brought right to me. Every. Single. Time.


#1 -- the classic plastic toy. The best treasure hunt I've ever been on occurred last night. The vent cover fell off our kitchen vent, and I noticed Landon threw a plastic toy down it. Soooo... last night I purchased a "vent retrieval kit" from the hardware store. (yes, they do make these -- which means, I'm not the first mom to go hunting down the vent) During the process I found 3 socks (remember those I thought the washer ate), a single toddler shoe (are you kidding me? when did that make the trip down the vent?) not 1 but 2 plastic toys! oh -- and a old book that must've been down there for years -- years! It's a very old and brittle kids book.  


Soooo... as you can see, every day holds a new treasure hunt. BUT, if you're lucky the treasure that is found -- is one you've been searching for! If anyone knows of a treasure map to help cut down on my hunting hours, please let me know. Until then -- keep your eyes peeled for that red crayon!!

Without power...

So here I sit, where I'm guessing every twin mom of two year olds sits at 8:00 at night--- by the door of the bedroom. Why? Simply because there is always that ornery twin, you know the one-- the one whom thinks the rules don't apply to him. The one who'd leap out of his bed and into his brothers without any consideration. The one who's been caught playing drums on the side of the crib his twin brother is asleep in... And yes, the one who greets his brother every morning with a big 'ole jump in his bed! There's one in every bunch. Tonight may have been a little tough to calm down for bedtime compared to most. Tonight under this roof we got to experience our first power outage with these two. One might ask, how do you keep a set of toddlers entertained, in the dark-- without power. Well... I'm about to tell you. 

The top 4 items to have with twins in a power outage (or an alien invasion maybe)

#4 -- a doc McStuffins checkup center... Why? After turning off the "checkup light" time and time again: you'll be glad you've got that little glow when you find yourself searching for all the light up toys that have functioning batteries. In most cases, the only working batteries in the house. 

#3 -- a clubhouse

That dryer box that has been the source of constant entertainment for a few weeks now... Comes equipped with not a single thing that needs a power source. Thus making it a complete success as an emergency entertainment system. 

#2 -- flashlights

Ahh yes. Not for the need to look around, but solely for entertainment purposes. The first 15 minutes is just the "aww" factor of I have control of something that lights up... After the new has worn off, then you can show them how it shines on the ceiling.... Wowww, and then the icing on the cake would come with making munching shadows on the wall.

All these things are wonderful, but the greatest item to have with the lights out:

#1 -- light up boots! Those dorky boots my husband has been calling "moon boots" -- not only are they great entertainment for the boys, they make fantastic tracking devices! Good luck trying to lose your kids with a pair of those bad boys on. 

So, about an hour and half later, lights came on! There we were celebrating the success of our power outage survival skills... Up jumps Logan, runs to the light switch and shuts it off: I'd say, that's a win!