Oct 11
Everyone,
My mom is visiting for the week and we are just having the best time with her! We’ve been to see a few historical places, broken a few laws, and done a lot of Christmas shopping.
There has been late night talks and movies. There have been treats and fun rides on the train at the mall (something I wouldn’t do but Nana can’t say no to these boys!) There has been fighting over her iPad and zombies eating brains.
I love it when she visits!
Safire
Safiremy family, my Mom, visitors Nana
Sep 11
Everyone,
This morning started out early and busy! We spent the morning cleaning the house. Really cleaning the house. Picking up, putting away, shredding, wiping, bleaching.
I cleaned the kitchen. I made 2 huge batches of pancake mix to put in the freezer. I cleaned off the table, and paid all the bills. Juice cleaned the bathrooms and the kids went around behind us destroying all of our hard work.
Dear children.
Once I fetched my parents from the airport, we all went out to dinner at the Moose Place. The Moose Place is all decorated with hunting paraphernalia. Some of them move! The moose head talks, and so does the buffalo. We sat next to a barrel that a raccoon popped out of. Very entertaining for the kids!
They also have a very interesting desert with toasted marshmalows on it. Yum!
Stay tuned for a fun week of touring around the town!
Safire
Safirevisitors my parents
Mar 28
Everyone,
This week’s question of the week at the Multiples and More site is about advice.
What is the best and worst advice you have ever received on raising your multiples?
I have honestly gotten a lot of good advice from pregnancy and beyond. I am lucky to have a hugely active local multiples club. If I ever have any kind of question, I only need to ask those parents over there and I’m sure I’ll get a few awesome answers. Between this club and my own mom, I think I get a lot of great advice.
The greatest advice I ever got with the twins was on the day that we found out we were having twins. The doctor supervising the ultrasound was one I knew really well. I knew he had twins of his own. He was explaining what we were looking at and measuring those 2 heartbeats. They were amazing to see on the screen. After he was done with the ultrasound, he looked at me and said, “You know I have twin sons who are 11, right? Those first weeks are really hard. Get help.”
Juice was in the ultrasound with me and we spent the 45 minute drive home talking about what he said. It seemed like a good idea so we began to plan how we could have help. And who we could ask to help out.
My parents were planning on coming for the birth this time, and staying 2 weeks to help those first crazy days. Plus, we needed someone to stay with Butterfly. Sadly, they missed the boys birth by 1 day. But they were able to stay 2 whole weeks drinking in the brand new baby stuff.
Then my in laws came to stay with us for one whole month. It was amazing to have another set of hands around. They bailed me out of a dead car, celebrated Butterfly’s 3rd birthday with us, and had a fun time with the babies. They were a big help!
My parents came back for the boys church blessing, and brought my niece Flower along with them. She was 14 at the time and had come to spend a month with us. We had SO much fun with her. We went all over and she was a gem. She changed diapers, cleaned up, took Butterfly to the park, watched movies over and over and over with her, and then watched movies at night with me holding babies.
Once she left, we had 3 weeks without any help. Holy cow. I thought I was going to die a few times. If it wasn’t for my friends here, I don’t think I would have kept my sanity.
After those 3 weeks, my cousin Bee came to stay with us for 3 weeks. She was a lot of fun too! She was 15 and had never really even held a baby before. But boy she did a great job. Butterfly especially loved her fun spirit and cool games she cooked up.
Bee’s family came to pick her up and have a mini vacation with us for a week. Honestly, by this point the boys were 4 months old and had been hauled over the greater Washington DC area. They were great travelers and we had fun being tourists together. We also got photographed by Japanese tourists several times and I can just imagine what they tell their friends when they show them the pictures.
I flew to Utah with my kids and Bee’s family. Juice had work to do so he couldn’t come along. Then we spent almost 6 weeks at my mom’s house. This was heaven. I loved having my parents around to help out and to see all of my friends in Utah.
Once I flew home (with Juice), the boys were almost 6 months old. They were a lot easier. They were over that scary newborn phase and were sleeping 16 + hours a day.
I think I took my doctor’s advice seriously, and I really do believe that it was my key to having sanity while they were so tiny.
The worst piece of advice I think I’ve gotten from strangers. Mostly it’s little stuff. But things they say in passing without even knowing who I am or what I do. If I dress them the same, they say “You should never dress twins alike!” Never mind that my boys are completely different physically. If I don’t dress them the same, “You should always dress twins alike! How fun is that??” “You should have those kids in bed.” “You shouldn’t feed them that!” “You are shining the sun in their faces! Get a hat on those kids!” “You’re making your kids too hot! Take those hats off!”
Seriously, strangers should keep their mouths shut. But there’s something about twins that makes people just want to talk to you.
My best piece of advice for moms of any kind is to take things in stride. This is advice I try to give myself every day too! I see other moms with older kids and see how different their lives are than mine. Each stage has it’s challenges and joys. And I intend to enjoy them all!
Safire
Safireadvice, Bee, Flower, questions, visitors
Aug 08
Everyone,
We have house guests. My cousin and his wife and 2 girls (5 and 3) are visiting our place for the weekend. So that makes 10 people we’ve crammed into our little house. And you know what? It seems to be working. Yay!
They didn’t get in until about 1am yesterday. And today we went to Mt. Vernon and walked all over. It was a great day but my camera battery died (again!) so I have very little pictures to show for it. We had personal pizzas for dinner, went out for awesome ice cream for a treat, and played a tiny bit on the Wii.
Okay, I just fell asleep typing that sentence. Had to erase a whole bunch of f’s. Must sleep.
Safire
Safirehouse, house guests, visitors
Apr 09
Everyone,
I love having my parents with us. It makes me want to move closer to them all the time. I would love for the boys to know them better and for Butterfly to have someone who would like to read books to her all day long. The same book. All day long. Mommy gets very bored but Nana doesn’t! Or Grandpa! Love having my parents around. Just love it.
Since they are around and since I intend to spend all my time with them, posting will be sporadic and short. Sorry! I only get to see them twice a year (if that) so these 10 days are important to me. Hey, when you only get to see each other 20 days a year, it’s a big thing!
Tomorrow we are off to gain our title of Ultimate Tourists as my Mom has trained me to be. Which reminds me, I really should print off directions.
Later!
Safire
Safiregrandparents, my Dad, my family, my Mom, visitors
Mar 19
Everyone,
Spring is trying it’s hardest to make an appearance here. We had a few really great days. They were sunny, warm, and the flowers really seemed to spring up. I even realized that I had NO short sleeve shirts for Butterfly. Luckily, my mom was still in town and we went shopping for a few things.
And then, it hit. We got rain all day on Friday, which turned to sleet half way through the day, and then snow by 7pm. We probably got about an inch of ice under the snow again. But luckily, it’s so warm that it didn’t stay at all. I think we have seen the last of the snow, but I could be wrong. The weather has been so wacky. It’s like winter got a late start and now spring is too.
I’m writing my parents’ visit but it’s just not done yet. I will post it as soon as it is. Not a whole lot to say about our lives here. They thought about sending Juice to New Mexico tomorrow and I’m glad they didn’t because I would have had to cancel my Mom’s Night Out with my mom’s group. And I did NOT want to do that! (Especially since they moved it from Thursday to Wednesday night so I could make it when I started being in charge of the teenagers’ activities at my church.)
Still babysitting, but it’s coming to a close. I’ve decided not to continue when The Mom goes back to school in the fall. The money has been nice, the time out of my own house has been nice, but I think it’s time to have my Mondays and Tuesdays back to my self.
Safire
Safirebabysitting, spring, visitors
Mar 14
Dear Monticello,
The house is beautiful. The grounds, lovely. Thank you for keeping it up so that we can get a glimpse of what Thomas Jefferson’s life and the life of his family was like. I loved seeing the huge tree that was there when he was, and also the dumb waiter and the alcove beds.
However, I did not appreciate you asking me to leave with my 2 year old because she was a little loud. I did not appreciate your worker telling us very rudely that she had to stop jumping in the entry way. I did not appreciate the fact that when your tour guide was telling us about the room where Jefferson enjoyed his children and grandchildren, we were asked to leave.
If you are not going to be child friendly, and by that I mean the under 5 year old set, please let us know BEFORE we step into your house and get reprimanded by strangers. That way you wouldn’t have had to ask us to leave. We would have taken shifts and been content. Or perhaps you could have a tour for those parents of small children.
I’m sorry to say that that act left me and my party with a bad taste in our mouth about the plantation, and we will not be coming back.
Thank you,
yours, etc….
Safiresights around DC, visitors
Mar 08
Everyone,
How much pb&j can one little girl eat? At least 6 half sandwiches yesterday. That’s all she ever wants to eat, and while I don’t mind that she’s eating, a little variety might be good for her. She did eat 3 tacos for dinner last night too, along with a jelly sandwich. She is a bottomless pit.
We have a lot of visitors coming in today. My aunt, uncle, and their 3 youngest kids have driven from Utah to pick up their son who was on a mission for our church in Philly. They are supposed to drive from Philly to here today and do downtown this afternoon with me. (It’s 11am and I still haven’t heard from them so I have no idea if that will happen.) Then, my parents get in tonight to spend a week with us. I’m excited, but exhausted from cleaning my house.
But man does it look good. 
Safire
SafireButterfly eats, visitors
Mar 04
Everyone,
I didn’t realize how long it has been since I’ve posted. We’ve been keeping really busy and I’ve been really tired so my normal posting time (before bed) gets cut out. And tonight will be short. Here are some highlights:
Juice finally beat, as in fought the last battle, his game he’s had for 2 years. Wow, is all I can say. Does he know how to make things last or what?
My brother, MusicMan, celebrated a birthday last Friday. We had a nice chat and his wife surprised him which was great. You can read more
here.
Butterfly is doing well. She is eating us out of jelly, bread, and peanut butter. That girl can put away food! And oh the diapers…
Me, I’ve been enjoying my latest duds.
I am so excited for this year’s renn faire now that we all can go dressed up. I got this dress custom made from HERE. The owner is a good friend of Juice’s from college. She did a great job!
I will be busy this week as my parents are coming for a week starting on Thursday. We’ve got a full week scheduled and I’m really looking forward to seeing them. And going on a date with Juice before baby bedtime. And watching girly movies with my mom. Should be fun!
Until next time,
Safire
SafireButterfly eats, Juice's game, ren faire, visitors
