Dropping Bombs

So, my sweet, adorable 2 and half year old has begun dropping the F-bomb again.  It is currently part of our everyday vocabulary.  Her absolute favorite time for this expletive is when she is jumping and hopping around like a frog.  Instead of "ribbit, ribbit," it is "f***, f***."  This is especially cute and adorable as we are walking (well, she is hopping) into the grocery store.  I have repeatedly told her that only Mommies and Daddies can say that word, but she replies, "No, I can say it too Mommy, see, F***!"  Yeah.  Great.

We have had trouble with this word before.  APPARENTLY, she picked it up from me (yeah, I'll take the blame for this one) when I was pregnant with the twins.  At about 4 months pregnant, I was already measuring close to full term - I WAS HUGE- and already having extreme difficulty picking things up off the ground.  Well, Karlie was about a year and a half then, so throwing things down for Mommy to pick up was still great fun.  In my extreme pregnant state, I MAY have let an F-bomb go each and every time I had to do the straddle, squat, and try to get back up part of the game.  During the peak of this phase, I would be pushing her around in the grocery cart, and Karlie would systematically grab things out of the cart, throw them down on the floor, literally scream "F***," then dissolve into a fit of giggles, followed with, "Fun Mommy, it's fun."  To which I would reply, "Frog baby, is that what you're saying?"  Eventually, we moved on to bigger and better things.  Thank God.

Come to think of it, we are probably at a natural progression with the F-word.  I did try to cover it up with saying frog, and now, that is what a frog says. 

Great.  How am I going to get out of this one?

Fuck.

Our Christmas Craft

In the spirit of reducing, reusing, and recycling, we came up with a container idea this year for the "goodies" that we give family, friends and co-workers.  Actually, my super crafty Sis came up with the original idea for Halloween - see the Mummy - and I played off of that and decided to just use ribbon.

What to do:  Take clean coffee cans or formula cans (of which we had a TON of), remove outer paper and drill 2 holes in the top for handles.  I wrapped them all in streamers first (because some of the ribbon was see-through), then wrapped them in ribbon.  I then tied a bow, and used pipe cleaners for the handles.  I actually had a much cuter idea of using different colored streamers to make candy canes, snowmen and I even had a tree figured out, but in the interest of time, I punked out and went with the ribbon.  I still think they are super cute anyway.

Happy Holidays!

Morax of the Borax

Borax Laundry Booster is my new all-time favorite cleaner.  As you can imagine, I've spent a LOT of time spraying stain remover on my 3 babies' clothes.  A LOT of time.  So much time in fact, I feel like I don't need to lift weights for my arms on laundry days.  Sounds silly, doesn't it?  Not really.  It's also VERY time-consuming.  But now, all I do is just soak the load of clothes for about 20 minutes with some Borax, then wash them again with some Borax mixed in with the laundry detergent, and the clothes come out cleaner than they were when I was spraying them individually.  I LOVE not spraying stain remover on every bib, onesie, shirt, sock, etc we own.  Also, now I don't dread washing a load of whites - that is until they need to be folded.

Anyway, I figure if a product has been around for close to 100 years, something about it must be good.  Truth be told, I just like buying a product that says "20 Mule Team."  It makes me laugh.  Plus it has about a million other uses.

So, yes, 20 Mule Team Borax is my new best friend. 

Thanks Mom for the tip.

Benadryl or No Benadryl?

So the babies are almost 6 months old.  Six of the shortest and longest months we've ever experienced.  Short because they've grown so fast, and long because they still do not sleep through the night. 

I'll say it again.  Still not sleeping through the night!!!!  Ok, we've had the occasional teasers - probably about a dozen of them, but nothing consistent.  What IS consistent is Ella up at midnight, Maggie up at 2am, Ella back up at 3am and Maggie up by 5am.  Then of course there is Karlie Bea.  She wakes up with the babies each and every time, so not only do you need to take care of an unhappy baby, but you need to put back to bed a very unhappy toddler.  Add that to the fact that Maggie is a screamer - not an unhappy screamer - a happy, at the top of her lungs, wake the entire house up because she doesn't care it's 2am screamer and you just can't win.

Yep, 6 months of this.  My husband and I have tried taking turns.  It doens't really work.  Right now we are doing the shift thing, but truly that just creates a teaser for both of us.  Neither one of us are really greedy with sleep.  Both of us wake up wonderfully refreshed after a solid 5 hours - the trick to that is it needs to be solid. 

So, we've tried different routines.  Right now we are feeding them as much cereal as they will take, giving them a bath, then a bottle.  You'd think that would do it right?  Ha, ha.  Up at 12, 2, 3 and 5 everytime. 

We've never been the parents that gave our kids drugs to sleep, but as my step-mom pointed out, you should NEVER say never.  We've discussed giving them Benadryl, and I've shot down that idea each time, but I'm thinking it might not be a bad idea. 

Maybe.

Possibly.

I'm thinking about it.

Sick of Being Sick

My worst nightmare came true early last week.  EVERYONE was sick.  I remember bringing the girls home those first few weeks and thinking to myself, "I can handle anything as long as they are not all sick."  Literally, I would think how lucky I was that we didn't have to worry about that - especially during the transition period.  Turns out, I was right.  We were so lucky!!!  It has been horrible!!!!!!!!

All three of my babies and a borderline sick husband is just not pretty.  It all started with Karlie.  She had a terrible fever and cough and had to be held all day - wow, she is 30 pounds and I felt every ounce of it by the end of the day.  And I would race around her and make sure that everything she touched was wiped down, trying not to spread the germs.  What an idiot I am!  That didn't help a bit, and I should have been conserving energy!  Then came Ella.  Ok.  I can handle it.  I am an expert at holding two babies, rocking and feeding them is no problem.  Yeah, add Maggie to the mix and then a whiny husband.  By day 2 I was doubling my Zoloft and just praying someone would start feeling better.  By day 3 I think Karlie really did feel better, but she had figured out that if she acted sick she would get more attention.  My sweet, sweet, manipulative little girl.  By day 4 I was extremely concerned because not only did I feel like crap, but there was no end in sight.  By day 5, I called the emergency number for the girls' doctor (of course it was Sunday) and just balled to the poor doctor who returned my call.  She probably wasn't expecting to talk to a completely worn out, hysterical Mommy, but that's who she was dealing with.  By day 6, Ella's fever finally broke completely by morning, and Maggie's that afternoon.  By day 7 everyone was really doing better - except for a totally exhausted Mommy.

On a more serious note, that was a really scary sickness we went through.  I have never experienced fevers spiking like that, and it came on so fast!  I really wish someone would come out with some type of medicine to give the babies.  It is some kind of hell to watch them suffer; knowing the best you can do is Tylenol and a humidifier. 

On a less serious note, it is only the end of November.  I really hope we don't get sick all winter!  I'm going to have my Zoloft refilled tomorrow!

My New Diaper Deal

I totally renege on the diapers.com post.  Now that I have been buying diapers for 3 babies for a few months, I think I finally have it figured out.  Not just diapers either.  Here is my new gig for groceries, diapers, cleaning supplies, etc.

So you can load coupons onto your shopping card - I use Kroger.  For some reason the electronic coupons (which do not double by the way) do not interfere with physical coupons that you hand the cashier.  So for any one item, you basically use 2 different coupons, AND the paper coupon if it is under $.50 still doubles.  I found this out totally by mistake, but am now going to take full advantage. 

Here is an example:

Jumbo pack of Huggies at Kroger $8.99.
Electronic coupon loaded on shopper's card -$1.50.
Paper coupon for Huggies -$3.00.
Total cost - $4.49.  For Huggies.  Not a bad deal.

I only bought one pack of diapers and some other items I had coupons for because I wanted to verify that was what was really happening.    It was and is.

SWEET!!!!!

Now I have to go back and buy more diapers.  Really.  We'll be out in 3 days or less.  Seriously.

Ba, Ba, You Damn Little Sheep

Karlie has a Ba.  It is her absolute favorite, favorite, favorite stuffed animal.  She has multiple blankies and depending on the day, other favorite stuffed animals, but they ALWAYS come second to Ba.  If it is time to sleep, cry, or even in times of great happiness, we need BA.  BA needs food and drink at the same time as Karlie, and frequently he needs bottles, to be burped and put down for a nap, go potty or a new diaper, etc at the same time as everyone else.  He also likes to play outside, typically in Karlie's jacket.  He is very needy.  BA is an extremely well-loved, ragged out, used to be white sheep.  Of course it is one of those stuffed animals that came from the dollar store (I know this because I finally found more BAs) which means that he does not hold up to wear and tear nearly as well as a 2-year old thinks it should.

Last Friday, BA underwent major surgery.  Two of his arms needed to be sewn back on (they were almost completely torn off), and his entire chest cavity was seeping out.  Ok.  No problem.  Mommy the surgeon took care of that.  Happiness and contentment in our world again.

Yesterday, we lost BA.  WE LOST BA!  WE LOST BA!  THIS IS NOT GOOD!  Somehow, that damn little sheep has found the most elusive hiding place in our house - I know he is in our house somewhere - and after hours of searching by myself during the day, then searching again with the hubs last night, we had to declare BA missing. 

As I said previously, I found more BAs at the dollar store.  We have 8 more of these little sheep in a bag in the closet in Karlie's room.  According to Karlie, these are not acceptable.  They are new BAs and have no resemblance to old BA (she is completely right - new BA is entirely too white and fluffy).  Damn.  Are you sure you can't sleep with a new BA?  Ha Ha.  "That not BA Mommy, I need BA!!!!!!"  Damn!!!

We have lost BA before.  Of course it was one of those special times when my husband was out of town, so the frantic searching ensued for hours by myself.  I didn't find BA then either - I am fairly certain he was "exchanged" for a rooster at the Kroger. I called the store, and did another frantic search in the parking lot at the Kroger, but it was no use.  BA was gone.  So, I took a new BA, cut off his tail, ripped some holes in him, let the dogs chew on it for a little while and ran him over with my car.  I then proceeded to sew a new, more acceptable "tail" which would be the tag - the most important part - and all of the sudden - "Mommy, you found BA!" was declared and I could finally relax a little.

Last night, Karlie passed out from exhaustion so BA wasn't such a big deal at this point.  Luckily, from my previous experiences with that damn little sheep, I now am constantly breaking in a new BA.  I always throw one in with the whites in order to start the "matted, well-loved" look.  So, while I am sure that I will need to "fix" the tail this morning, and he might still need to be played with by the dogs, and hell, I'll probably just run over him with my car for fun, new BA will hopefully become acceptable as old BA by the afternoon.

God I hope so.

A Little Q & A

I am frequently amazed at the audacity of some people.  Since my dealings with the public are typically in the grocery store, it is from my most recent trips to such stores that I would like to share the stupidest, rudest, and down-right thoughtless comments I receive:

Comment #1:  Are they twins?  Oh, are they girls?
Real Response:  Yes, they are.
Response in my head:  No.  They are just the same exact size and have matching clothes and car seat carriers.  Somehow I gave birth to children just a month apart.  And no, they are not girls.  I like to dress my little boys in flowers and have them swim in seas of pink all day.  Do you think they will turn out gay?

Comment #2:  Wow, you had twins?  You look really good for having twins.
Real Response:  Thanks.
Response in my head:  What the hell?  What am I supposed to look like?  You mean for having twins, or in general?

Comment #3:  What did you do to get twins?
Real Response:  We just got them the old-fashioned way. 
Response in my head:  Fuck.  You should try it.

Comment #4:  Wow, you look really great, oh goodness, did the babies do that to your hiney?
Real Response:  No, God gave me this hiney, I've always had it....
Response in my head:  I've always had this ass.  I got married with this ass.  I'll probably die with this ass.  Luckily, my husband likes a big ass.  In fact, he likes it so much it spurred the response in comment #3, which made the twins.

Comment #5:  My kids are 9 months apart, so I know what it's like to have twins....
Real Response:  Do you think so?
Response in my head:  You are so incredibly silly you have no idea.  Did you have 2 newborns to nurse, change every hour, and deal with in general?  Do you really think that a 9 month old is the same as bringing home an extra baby fresh out of the oven?  Just think about that statement for a couple minutes.....

Silly, silly, silly people.  I don't think I'll ever forget that 4th one.

Doctor Visit Again!!!!

Ok, so the last time we went to the doctor's office was HORRIBLE.  I am talking about every bodily fluid that could be projected or expelled by each one of my three children happened.  We go for a simple weight check for the twins - no biggie right?  Maggie pees all over the scale, of course she is naked, so she has to be completely wiped down and cleaned up.  Karlie decides it is the perfect time to poop - like an explosion poop mind you, so she needs to be completely cleaned up.  Then, Miss Ella while she is patiently waiting her turn (ha, ha) to be weighed, not only spits up twice, but poops too.  So, we get the babies weighed, and I tell the nurse, I'm sorry, but we're going to be a little while before we can leave this room.  An entire box of wipes later, we are heading out the door. 

So yesterday I am a little leery of the doctor visit.  I know we have to have shots, and we are ALL already cranky - Karlie is feeling a little under the weather, and the girls are still teething.  So, I'm armed and ready with a full box of wipes and change of clothes for everyone.  We are ready.  So we get there, and we do the initial stuff, then go to the room.  Well, apparently Karlie thinks she is getting a flu mist again, because as soon as we step foot in the room, she goes ballistic!  She covers up her little nose and starts screaming at the top of her lungs - SCREAMING.  At this point there is no explaining that we are there for the twins and not her.  SHE COULDN'T HEAR ME OVER THE SCREAMING.  So the doctor comes in and she goes even more ballistic - which I really didn't think was possible, and we proceed to attempt to have a conversation about the twins.  Then, here comes the nurse with the shots.  At this point we are at a level of ballistic that never, ever, ever  in all of my 30 odd years had I thought was humanly possible.  Well, it is.  Mr. man the doctor wimps out and shouts, "why don't you call me with any questions, she'll get the shots for you" and escapes.  What a punk!!!!!  So the nurse proceeds to give Ella her shots.  Now, at this point in Mommy hood I am fairly good at juggling 2 babies at once, but that is about my limit.  So, I've got Karlie (because that's helping so much!) and Ella, who is just a little upset at the woman stabbing sharp needles in her leg, trying to calm her down.  I quiet down Ella, who was a champ, and begin to buckle her into her car seat.  I look up and notice the nurse about to stab Maggie.  I said, "Can you wait just a sec, so I can get over there?"....as the super, wonderful chick stabs her anyway.  Now, I speak maybe 3 languages, 2 very little, but I do consider English to be my forte.  WHAT THE HELL?????  So, here I am with one baby going ballistic, one baby in the car seat crying all over again, and one baby who just got her shots and really needs some cuddling.  This is really the situation I was trying to avoid - that's why I told her to wait a minute!!!!  So here I am again, telling the nurse, "I'm sorry but we are going to be a few minutes before we can leave the room." 

I hate doctor visits.

On a positive note....both girls are in the 50th percentile!!!!  They are doing great!!!!

Ham - 4 Ways for under $20.00

For those of you who don't know, my husband and I LOVE to cook, and truth be told, eat.  However, it is not such an easy thing to make full blown meals every night and still stay within a reasonable grocery budget.  Basically, my strategy is to make a large quantity of SOMETHING, and change it into a couple of different meals, the remainder of which I freeze for later.  We are only a family of 3 to cook supper for, but I always make large quantities of soups and casseroles so I can have at least one lunch and another supper's worth of food.  So, I decided that once every couple of weeks or so I would jot down our recipes, and hopefully get some feedback on some other ideas! 

This week we made Ham.  I bought a 4lb Ham for $5.00.  We cook it by the package directions, but first inject it with a mixture of 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp margarine and 1/4 cup red wine vinegar.  We melt this mixture together on the stove top.  If you don't have an injector, it is also awesome as a glaze.

Meal #1 Sliced Ham, Sweet Potatoes and Greens (approx. $5.50)
4 Slices Ham (probably about 1/4 of the Ham) - $1.25

Baked Sweet Potatoes (3 for us) - $2.00
  (throw in the microwave like a regular potato and serve w/ butter, S&P)
Collard Greens (1/2 bag) - $1.50

1 Ham Hock - $.75
Red pepper flakes, S&P, garlic powder, sugar
Place Ham hock in pot and cover with water. Simmer on Medium High for at least 1 hour. Continue to cover with more water as it breaks down. When hock begins to break down, add 1 tbsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp sugar, and S&P. Add greens, and let simmer covered for an hour


Meal #2 Hash (approx. $3.52)
4 Medium Potatoes - smallest slice on box grater - $.80                                                    
1 onion diced - $.60
1 bell pepper diced (free from my garden)
4 slices bacon - $.50
3 Eggs - $.24
1 cup Cheddar Cheese - $.75
2 Slices Ham cubed (1/8) - $.63
Garlic powder, S&P
1 tbsp Olive Oil
  Cut the bacon into 1 inch pieces, cook and remove.  Add olive oil.  Add potatoes, onion and bell pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently until browned and softened.  Add S&P and garlic powder.  Add bacon and ham pieces, cook until heated through.  Add cheese, turn down heat and let melt.  In another pan, fry eggs (1 per person) over easy and serve on top of hash. 

Meal#3 Stuffed Tenderloin, Cabbage and Fried Corn - This is one of our "Sunday Dinners" - (approx. $5.25)

Stuffed Tenderloin
    1 lb Tenderloin - $1.99
    Very thin slices Ham (about an 1/8 of ham) - $.63
     Sliced Swiss Cheese - $.75
     Dijon mustard, S&P
    Cut tenderloin in half, pound out into 1/2 in think (saw this method on RR).  Spread mustard and S&P,   then layer with Ham and Swiss.  Roll up, and secure with twin or tooth picks.  Grill or roast in oven.
Cabbage (1/2 large head) - $1.00

cut into bite size pieces and saute in pan w/ olive oil, margarine, 2 tsp. garlic powder, S&P)
 Fried Corn - $.88
One bag of frozen corn, defrosted (place in colander in sink and run hot water over, then let dry).  In a skillet, melt 2 tbsp of margarine or butter, then add corn.  Season with garlic powder, paprika, and S&P.

Meal #4 Ham and Northern Bean Soup (approx. $2.50)
2-3 Slices of Ham Cubed - $.63
1/2 bag dried Northern Beans - $1.00
2 tbsp Olive Oil
6 large Okra sliced - free from my garden
1 can diced tomatoes or fresh- free from my garden
1 onion diced - $.60
2 carrots diced - $.35
2 chicken boullion cubes
6 cups of Water
Greens (optional) - leftover from previous supper
S&P, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and bay leaf
  Boil, rinse, and sort beans per package directions.  To large stock pot, add olive oil and soften okra, onion, and carrots.  Add tomatoes, 1 tbsp each of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and the bay leaf.  Add beans, ham, greens (optional) water and bouillon cubes.  Let simmer until beans are done, about 3 hours.  Served with homemade sourdough rolls.
I only used about 1/2 of the Ham, so I thinly sliced about a quarter of it for sandwiches and I think I'll freeze the rest for another week.  I want to make Ham Bonaparte, Corn Chowder w/ Ham and Quiche, but we are all "Hammed" out.

Ode to the Shower

O hot, lingering shower, how do I miss thee.  Let me count the ways....


Seriously, here I am again, everyone has been bathed, hair washed and all have clean clothes....except me. 


Why do I not shower in the morning before my husband gets up you ask?  Because it is the surest way to wake up my 2-year old.  I like to hold on the idea that she may stay in bed at least until the hubbie wakes up.  Add that to the normal get changed, fed and back in bed scenario with two babies, and what was 5am (you just thought it was early and you might have some time to yourself), quickly becomes 7am, which is also when the hubbie hops in the shower, thus waking up Miss Karlie.


Why do I not shower in the evenings?  I blame that solely on the hubbie.  Ha ha.  Seriously, by the time he gets home, finishes working from the house, it is make dinner time, then yet again, since Karlie is in bed, I don't want to wake her up. 


Why do I not shower during the day?  Ok, 2 babies and a 2-year old.  No, they do not all sleep at once (that happened apparently as a freak accident early on and has not been repeated), and the few times I've tried it, wow, the entire desk drawer in the office was "cleaned" out and I was dripping wet with a towel for about 20 minutes holding Miss Ella because she was NOT happy.


On the few days that I do get a shower in the morning....Thank you Aunt Traci for coming over and letting Mommy have the illusion of no baby spit up, snot or any other bodily fluid that can be projected and/or wiped all over Mommy's clothes.  It is so nice to have those first few minutes of total clean. 


So, O elusive shower, though I completely took you for granted before, especially those times I was able to wash my hair AND shave at the same time, I will never take you for granted again. 


Please tell your friend the bathtub that he is dead to me.

Yep, I'm that chick....

that chick you get behind in the grocery store line with all the coupons.  Coupons, formula checks, cash AND charge, thank you!  Seriously, I went to the local K-Roger the other day, Kroger for those of you who don't know, and saved $50 off of my $125 bill.  While I was checking out, there was this lady behind me who actually was making all this noise and said something to the effect of , "God, everytime I get in line, I get behind one of these people."  Really?  I mean seriously?  Now, here I am, with the baby train (see previous posts), clearly just trying to make it in these economic times with three babies in diapers and two on formula and do you REALLY want to try and say something to/about/towards ME - Me, the woman who is buying $125 worth of groceries with the 3 babies?  Obviously, if we are checking out we've been here for a while - this is not a quick process!  At this point, Mommy and babies are ALL cranky.  So, politely, I replied, "Obviously you either have too much money or you're blind (if you're in a hurry folks, don't get behind the baby train - come on!) but we're going to be just a few more minutes."  Which I thought showed total restraint!!!  So, she rolls her eyes and does this big sigh thing.  At this point all the babies are upset and I don't have time for her anyway.  Probably a good thing.  She still makes me mad.  Then, when I am FINALLY done at the register, the crazy "b" says, "wow, you saved a lot!" to which I reply "Yes, yes, I did."  Grinding my teeth, fake smile.....
ANYWAY, the point of this whole story was that I have been spending about 30 minutes a week to an hour finding, loading and clipping coupons.  In the past 2 weeks, I have easily saved over $100.  Did you know that most coupon websites can load to your shoppers card?  You swipe the card, and the coupons are automatically deducted!  Once you set up an account with the sites, it takes literally 2 minutes to select and load your coupons.  Then you just print your list and take it to the store so you know what you've got.  Easy peasy.  Seriously, where have I been?  Loading to your shoppers card is awesome!
Last week I saw on Rachael Ray that you can save thousands a year just by taking the time to clip coupons.  I mean in the teens thousands.  That's real money you can bank on. 
So, here are a list of the sites that I go to (typically on Sunday morning after the first round of everyone being changed, fed and back in bed): 

pgesaver.com

cellfire.com

shortcuts.com

couponbug.com

coupons.com

 Oh, and even if you don't shop at a store with a shopper's card, you can print the coupons at most of these sites.  And don't forget that most stores, like Kroger and Publix, double coupons up to 50 cents everyday.

Get 'em Cookin'

So my 2-year old eats just about anything.  Well, I say that, but it's not really true.  She doesn't like saucy things or dips, and can be pretty picky about things like tacos, but then again she's 2.  She does however eat carrots (doesn't every kid?), radishes, bell pepper, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, tomato, green beans, peas, celery, etc.  Not cooked mind you, raw.  She LOVES spaghetti sauce, tuna casserole, spanish rice, roast, steak, chicken, eggs, bacon and the typical kid stuff.  My point in telling all of this non-essential information is that I completely attribute her eating habits to the fact that she cooks with me constantly.  I know that I started cooking with her in a chair at the sink when she was about a year old, but it wasn't until I was pregnant with the twins that I made sure everytime I was in the kitchen she was too (this replaced some of our floor time because mommy couldn't get down and up very well!)  What's unbelievable to me is that so many people think that it's not a good idea or too messy to have a toddler in the kitchen with them.  You would not believe the comments I get on the "Cooking with Karlie" photo I have posted.  So many people think that she is way to young to be helping, or I might let a knife get in her way, or I'm just letting her create a big mess.  My response to that is "What?  I'm not an idiot that gives her knives, and my floor could use some extra wiping anyway - it's my floor, get over it.  And my kid can crack eggs, stir things together, knows all the fruits and veggies mommy cooks with, and she practices counting on a daily basis."  Now, don't get me wrong, you've got to be QUICK with the egg thing, and yes I do have to mop up the floor everyday, but who cares?  In the meantime, I have a little girl who is well on her way to being not only a good eater, but I have a very special bond with my daughter already that I can only hope will continue through the years.

This is How We Roll

So everyone keeps asking me how I'm getting around - going to the grocery store and such with the twins AND a two-year old.  This backpack carrier is it.  I keep Karlie completely contained and on my back and push the double stroller for the twins, dragging a cart behind us.  We get lots of looks and giggles, and the occasional "oh my god, you're a busy woman" comments, but it works for us.  I've tried the two cart thing.  I've tried the stroller and one cart with Karlie in it.  Both of those options leave my little girl being dragged behind us with little supervision or attention; neither of which is good for anyone.  Oh yes, there are repercussions for those actions.  And let's not forget to mention the weight and lack of manuverability of dragging a 30 pound kid along with 50 pounds of dog food and whatever else we've bought that day.  So now, thanks to my $3 backpack carrier from the thrift store, my sweet baby can babble in my ear the entire shopping trip.  We even make a game out of trying to find the best looking bell peppers or whatever it is we're looking for.  Karlie's happy, Mommy's happy, the twins are happy, AND Mommy doesn't have to do squats that day.  Let me tell you, it's not until you have a 30 pound toddler on your back that you realize how many things are on the lower shelves at the grocery store.  Soooo, this is it.  This is how we roll...me and my three babies.  Look out shoppers here we come!

The Girls are Back

Nope, not the twins, MY girls.  My boobies, ta-tas, puppies, whatever you want to call them - they are MINE again.  No more nursing for me!  Life as I knew it has changed dramatically.  No more mommy guilt for not taking the time to nurse both girls and pump instead.  No feeling of anxiety because I really needed to drink that extra cup of coffee that morning.  No more worrying about spicy food, medication, alcohol, not enough water, etc, etc.  No more worrying about leaking through the nursing pads in the store if I needed to go shopping.  No more questions about why I am only pumping 3 ounces this time from people who have never pumped EVER.  (That is my favorite one by the way---do other moms have some type of ticker in their boobs that let them know every ounce that the baby drinks?  Get a grip, the pump is not the same as the baby, nor can you compare ounce to ounce the breast milk to formula.  And by the way, the amount you produce does fluctuate!!!)  No more taking Fenugreek or drinking Mother's Milk (neither one of which made a significant difference for me) because I let the idiot comments about how much I was pumping get to me.  No more looking like Dolly before I pump, then looking like Grandma Lee after I pump.  No more whipping the girls out to pump regardless of who was in my house (thank you bug guy for not knocking when re-entering that one day).  No more horrible, huge strapped, ugly looking one boob can pop out bras.  No more, no more, no more.

Tonight I am going to put on my tiniest, sexiest bra with no support and have some adult beverages because tomorrow morning I can drink as much coffee as I want!!!!

Diapers, Diapers, Diapers

This is my shameless plug for diapers.com.....

So recently I placed my first diaper order at diapers.com.  Wow, what an awesome idea to have your diapers delivered to your door.  Typically, I would pack all the girls up, take my fistful of coupons and head off to whatever store has a sale that week.  Of course I would come home with a huge assortment of diapers - none of which were the brand I preferred - but feeling satisfied that for the next 2 weeks I had found the most economical way to keep my babie's butts dry.  Seriously, when you need to buy 300 or so diapers every 2 weeks (that's pushing it between the 3) you've got to work the system.  My favorite was shopping at the local Kroger.  Occasionally, you can print $3 off coupons online for their store brand and end up buying a pack of 56 diapers for around $3.50.  Pretty good deal right?  Until they stop letting you print the coupons or they expire.  So, I decided that I'd price the diapers at diapers.com and see what was what.  They have buy in bulk cheaper prices, but the thing that sold me was the discounts.  They offer a first time buy discount, free shipping, referral cash, etc.  Then, when I found out I could send in my coupons and they would credit my next order, I was sold!!!  I get to use my coupons too!!!!  The diapers arrive in two days, and no more special trips to the store for diapers for me!  Thank you diapers.com, thank you!!!

Instant Savings:  Use referral code JTIG8044 to save $10 on your first order!

Tip for MOMs:  Huggies and Pampers will both send you extra coupons if contact them and let them know you have twins.

Is This My Life????

So I had that moment yesterday.  That moment when you say to yourself, "I absolutely cannot take it anymore.  Do you babies not realize that I'm doing the best I can?  I only have 2 hands!!!!  This cannot be my life!"  It all started because I had taken everyone outside to play.  Beautiful day, the babies are enjoying it, and of course Karlie Bea is on cloud nine.  Well, Karlie came running back to me totally freaked out/scared out of her mind about something.  Then Ella starts crying.  Then Maggie starts crying.  Babies cry, and god knows that I get that and it's ok.  But everyone was CRYING.  You know what I'm talking about.  Pissed off and disgusted CRYING.  So, while I'm still holding Karlie Bea, truth be told it was more like I was being held for dear life, I begin to make our transition to the inside.  And I can smell the reason why the babies are crying (they do NOT like to have poops), which just adds to my overall feeling of frustration.  I mean REALLY?  I've already changed 19 diapers today.  9 of which were poops.  It's only 3 in the afternoon!  And how in the world do you two time it the same every single time?  Sooooo, I get everyone inside, one baby at a time of course, because don't forget I'm still being clung to.  Now I need to figure out how the hell to get the babies out of the carriers and get them clean butts and still be the loving, comforting mommy that my oldest needs right now.  But I cannot even think.  Everyone is still CRYING.  So I get Ella out of the chair and I'm sitting on my ottoman rocking my big baby and youngest baby, moving the chair with my foot to at least try to sooth Maggie since yet again, I only have 2 hands.  I close my eyes and I think this sucks!!!!!  I want to go to work!  This cannot be my life!  I take a couple of deep breaths and think, I'll start looking for jobs tomorrow. 
Then I open my eyes and I see my darling little Maggie just grinning from ear to ear up at her Mommy.  Then I look down at my angel Ella and see that she is totally content, and Karlie Bea, bless her, says, "ok mommy, you ok?"  And I reply, "Of course love, I'm ok, are you ok?  You must have been very scared." 

Thank God that's over.

Teething Again!

Yep, it's the twins.  Karlie (my 2 year old) had all her teeth by a year.  Maggie and Ella are 3 months old today, and we officially have teeth coming through.  You can even see them.  Poor little things.  Time to break out the teething tablets...aka Baby Crack in our house.  15 minutes after a couple of tablets and your sweet, smiling baby just came back.  I wanted to mention those because I've talked to 3 different people in the past 2 weeks who have never tried them.  Try them!  They make their/your life so much better!  They are the only thing that really worked with Karlie.  We even tried the whiskey on the gums thing with her, but after talking to other folks realized we were doing it wrong.  Apparently you rub whiskey on the baby's gums, and then the parents take a shot.  That's what makes it all better.  And, as much as I love a good shot of whiskey, I can't really be doing shooters in the Wally world or wherever else we are that day.  So, later today I'm off to the store for some Baby Crack.  Hopefully they'll work for you too!!!!   

A new MOM

For those of you who don't know, MOM is also known as Mothers of Multiples.  Obviously I'm not a new mom - my oldest is 2 (that endearing age when "No, I don't want to" is the automatic response to every question asked) - but I am definitely new to having twins.  The twins are wonderful, beautiful, happy babies.  For those of you with any question in your mind, there has been NO post-partum.  I am quite content without 2 babies inside of me kicking in different directions.  In fact, in that last month there was some question in my mind whether I could even love these 2 who had decided to make my organs their playground.  Of course that all changes once you push them out (yes, it can be done without c-section).  Actually pushing them out gives you the sense that you finally have control over your body again.  That is until you realize that you will never, ever, ever sleep again.  So, I've created this blog to be my sounding board, journal, and own personal outreach program for anyone interested.