Possibility ?

Probably not.    We are currently stuck between a rock and Nathan.   He won't stay in his crib.   crawls out.   We got the big boy bed out thinking it might work and for 2 naps and 2 nights he was GREAT.  and now he won't stay in his bed.

If it were just Nathan, this whole situation would be nothin'.   But as we have Ryan who has to be touching you, wrapped around your arm, hands on feet snuggled against you to sleep lately.   Well...that doesn't leave a lot of hands to keep the other one in his bed.   It also makes for a fun game of, ok, right as you start to settle down I'll make noise and scream and then you can get up and then right as I'm settling down you scream.    fuuuuuuuucryinoutloud.

I suppose all we have left to do is to put barbwire over the crib buddy.   

No More Movie Mondays

Guess what happened. 
Ok, so remember the blurry camera from hell that we purchased on our way to Zion's National Park.
We upgraded it to a slightly less blurry camera from hell so that we wouldn't have to carry around big bertha all of the time.
The new camera uploads to it's own program on my computer and it's all very new and extremely weird and well....I deleted my pictures from the weekend.     I thought they were downloaded and I'm a delete QUEEN and so as soon as I unplugged the camera I deleted and then realized the pictures were no where to be found.
NOW, you'll have to use your imaginations while I improvise the happenings.   I know,  you're already bored and will now move on to the next post on your bloglines.   I don't blame you. 

It was my wife's (shmurnima) birthday.  No, I don't have a wife named shmurnima...that was me mummbling her age. :)
ANY HEW, I surprised her with a babysitter for the night, couples massage, dinner at a restaurant of her choice (yes, technically she did have to pay for dinner) a movie (see more below), and the presidential suite at a hotel downtown.
WITH a bidet.   AND a grand piano.   This is normally where I would post the dark pictures that I took of the bedroom with not one but 2 sets of french doors leading in to another room with a fireplace and living room and office.  a small bar, with a small kitchen area and a dining room table that had seating for 10.
There was a guest bath and a master bath with a jacuzzi that fit my entire family (insert deleted picture here...yes the 2nd night our whole family got in) 2 vanity areas, the in room 14.99 movie (won't be reviewed below)  and of course the bidet.  WHICH I TOTALLY used.  twice.  because I never have and in all of our traveling around this world and all of the bidet's we've come in contact with...I felt there was no special reason, but I needed to try it.    It was nice.  
I recommend one get the water temperature and pressure/height right before one squats over the bidet.    Just a suggestion.
ANY WAYS......It was fun.   We had a sitter for the first night.  We picked up the kids the 2nd day and played and swam, lit off some fireworks and crashed back at the hotel.   We played downtown like we were out of towners....taking traxx to get to lunch and a movie (see below) and honestly just had a joyous time.
J's thanked me for it, and I know she enjoyed it so I'll just say, once again...I Love you J.    Happy shmurnima birthday !

kindaaaa the last Movie Monday
I'm not really going to do movie monday anymore.    IF I find that there is a movie I think that you MUST see...then I'll post it.     I will just add the ones that I do watch to the side with my ratings for anyone who is interested.
Ok,
We decided to go see Knight and Day this weekend.   Salt came out but we weren't sold....love Angelina...not always her movies.  
SO GLAD.  Knight and Day has Tom Cruise (who I'm not a big fan of)  Cameron Diaz (again, not a huge fan) and I suppose not having a CLUE as to what it was about set my expectations to almost nothing.
Good thing too.   I laughed and laughed.   It really is a great show.   True Lies but not really.   Had a moment of Rainman.   GREAT movie.    I will totally watch it again and maybe even again.

(if you've seen Salt, please let me know what your thoughts are)

We then took the kids to see Despicable Me...which EVERYONE has been talking about.   Even my MOTHER who doesn't love love kids movies...ok, and by love love she doesn't go goo goo over them like I do.  She said she was TOTALLY going to buy it when it came out and loved it more than Syd.  (she had Syd overnight the first night and took her to see it)  
It was good.   I didn't think it was the BEST Disney type movie I've ever seen....or the funniest, but it was good.  

Daphne - A movie about writer Daphne Du Maurier....who wrote Rebecca.  she also wrote the Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds"   ANY WAYS.   A biopic about her life and struggles with her "venetian" side.   As a wife and mother she struggles to be loved by her publishers wife and talks about how she had a love affair with Gertrude Lawrence (actress).     She always felt like an 18 year old boy stuck in a woman's body.   All were taken from letters found after she'd passed away.

Watch it, it was a good movie.  

I always feel so lucky to have this strong head on my shoulders.   The fear and struggle to allow myself to be who I am today was short lived compared to those before...and sadly even after me.
aaah, but another post for another day.

And there you have it folks.    You made it to the end :)

Child Labor Laws

I'm having a hard time keeping it together.   This is scary because, 1- I had time away from my children.  2- I started, and usually the side effects of my PMDD fade immediately when the blood flows. 3- I can usually fake it better than this. 4- I've been applying the wild yam cream for all of 2 WHOLE DAYS !  shit, doesn't that stuff have immediate effects.

We did have a great weekend.    I don't want it to end like this.    Feeling like this.   Wanting to run away from home with some group of gyspies headed for the hills of California.
Tomorrow will be a better day.  Right ?

I have a GREAT movie review.   pictures with edited descriptions of my wife's birthday and once I can get it to come out right, and maybe with less profanity, I would like to talk about how much I can't stand my children right now.

The Fair Labor Standards Act's (FLSA) minimum age requirements do not apply to minors employed by their parents, or by a person acting as their guardian. An exception to this occurs in mining, manufacturing and occupations where the minimum age requirement of 18 years old applies.

State laws often follow the same pattern as the Fair Labor Standards Act with regard to minors working for their parents. Consult your state department of labor for specific guidance.

You fight....you clean.   It is absolutely fair according to the US department of Labor.   :)

Sydney also cleaned floor boards and her room.

Cam and Spencer decided to stop bitching and moaning and went and played quietly before they were assigned more chores.

This example shown above has not stopped the fighting....or the screaming in my head.

Someone, please bring me a double of something, on the rocks, because it's fucking hot and I want to slap the shit out of something.

They said, what ?

I was putting Nathan and Ryan in the tub.   We usually ask them if they want to go potty and then stand them up to the toilet after we get them undressed.   They always want to and will usually stand for a few seconds before saying, "ah don" (all done) and then we put them in the tub.  
Last night was no exception.    I stood Nathan up to the potty.  He put a pincer grasp on his penis and stood for a moment thrusting his hips forward a little towards the toilet.  (he surprisingly has a pretty good grasp on what he's doing...and I don't mean on his penis :) After a second he looks at me with concern and states, "ah broken"   Apparently his penis didn't get the message that when you stand in front of the toilet...the pee should automatically come out :)

This is the same kid who walks through the house yelling, "MOM ! whe ah you?" (where are you)  and while looking right at me will scream "MOM!" over and over until I acknowlege him and respond with "what Nathan"

Grandma and Aunt Jo came over to have dinner and play cards the other night.    We got out some licorice as a treat.   While we weren't watching, but saw out of that third eye in the back of our heads, Nathan took down the box and Mommy J asked, "Nathan, whatcha doin ?"   to which he replied, "nothin"
We all turned around and laughed as he shoved a piece in his cheeks I asked, "Nathan did you get the licorice ?"  He of course said, "no"  
Lying already.  :)

Ryan continues to say, "excuse you" when he hiccups, burps or toots.   He also identified and announced, "gabba gabba gabba" when Yo Gabba Gabba came on the TV.   Which is crazy because he doesn't  won't watch TV if it's on and when it is on, which isn't very often, Yo Gabba Gabba is normally not the show that the older kids watch.

Ryan will yell, "BUG" when spotting any kind of crawling thing, or rolled up rubber band or dark colored lint he sees on the ground.   He then softly and gently presses down on whatever 6-8 legged thing who has decided to escape and carefully and cautiously slides the guts out on to the concrete, floor or the palm of his hand.
It's hard for me to watch.     I might make a short film titled, "Death of an Insect"   I'd have lots of footage to choose from.

Both babies are still really good at "peez" (please) and "tanchoo" (thank you) but sometimes get confused and say "ah weh cum" (your welcome) when they mean to say please.   They NEVER get "sah-ee" (sorry) confused and will even say it to the one that hit them.  :)   so I suppose there is still some confusion.
Such tough guys. They push and hit each other and their older siblings.  but cry like they'd been punched if someone takes the shoes that they had been trying to put on.  not excluding my big tall high heel black boots.  They'll walk around, defeated, crying, "shoes, shoes, shoes"

They continue to get naked from the waste down and giggle and laugh grabbing their penis' whilst running through the house.   
We've tried taping their diapers on.  putting the tape on so that it ends in the back....which just makes it a perfect game for the other twin to then peel and unwind his brother. Allowing the now tape free one to once again remove the nearly torn to shreds diaper that's been put on, torn off and repeated about 17 times.   
If left diaperless....they'll take the opportunity to go to the bathroom on the floor and then grab the lifeless diaper and will bring it to me saying, "uh oh, dipoo" (diaper)  OOOOH, NOW you want it on.   

They play hide and seek with each other.   Covering their eyes and counting, "thee, thee, thee" and then run down the hall after the other one who never had a chance to hide.  And even if given the chance will most likely stand against a wall or jump on the couch and bury their face.    I'm not sure at what age the, if I can't see you, you surely can't see me, thing ends. 
They love this game and giggle and laugh chasing each other back and forth down the hall.  Until of course someone slams the other one in the back thrusting him forward dropping him to the floor.   Nathan will run to tell me, "uh oh Yi-yan ky" (uh oh, Ryan Cry)  not so much taking responsibility for the injury...but letting me know for sure.
The games always end when "someone gets hurt"  and by the crying in this house.....someone is ALWAYS hurt. :)
They do stick up for each other standing over the hurt one and screaming "NO !" very loudly at the offender (one of the older 3).   And then will stroke the head of the fallen one asking, "ah ok ?"   It's very sweet.

Thanks for making me smile baby boys.  Though it's through tears a lot of days, you still bring joy to my life.
Love mom.

Clearly this shirt was made for me.   I'll take 4 !

Juuuuust made it Movie Monday

Once again....I come to you with barely anything.    I would like to add however that I have a list of my gayest of movies on the side of my blog for those of you interested.  and for those of you who are not interested at all.
I tried to rate them, but really, it's so hard......so I cannot and will not be held accountable for any lustless and mood breaking nights that may result in your renting based on my star rating alone.  

Sign here _________  and here _________ and here ______________

oh and here______________

note....advice needed, for those not interested in any of my ratings of movies please skip past movies, read and respond.   I could really use your experience and knowledge.  
Ok.

Eclipse 
If you've followed any of my movie monday posts it will be of no surprise to you that I find the Twilight movies to be kinda lame.    Eclipse didn't change my mind....however it WAS much better than 2.
I guess I just get sick of the, I want to change, no, no, I can't possibly make you one of us, please, it's what I want, no, no, I can't possibly make you one of us, I love you, I love you too, don't become one of them bella, I've made up my mind, you love me, no I don't, yes you do, no I don't, yes you do, no I don't, change me, no, no, I can't possibly make you one of us, please, it's what I want, no, no, I can't possibly....OH fuck it...you get what I'm saying.    And now I've TOTALLY and completely given away the movie plot.  SHIT !
I'm sorry.

My opinion - if you saw the second one and liked it....FOR SURE go see this one.  aaaaand if you're like me and hoping and praying that one time....just one fucking time there will be a sex scene in it so you keep going back....well then, see it.  (yes, the sex scenes help, even when the dialog is monotonous)

Hanna Free
Sharon Gless was in it.    And she was gay.    I love me some Cagney and Lacey so I thought this was going to be a winner for sure....and the sad thing was...it had SOOO much potential.
Ok, so Cagney err I mean Sharon is this elderly woman, handicapped and living in a retirement care center.
Her girlfriend of pretty much her whole life is on another floor in a coma.    She wants to see her again and say goodbye before she dies however they won't let her see her because she's not family and the woman's daughter who knows the relationship was more than friends but doesn't accept it won't ok her to go see her either.
Any ways....a young girl comes and helps her and the ending is kind of wrong and then it was over.

My opinion- it had so much potential. 

She likes Girls 3
There's a twilight spin off.   There's also a story about top and bottom that was pretty funny.

My opinion - Not anything to write a blog post about.

Itty Bitty Titty Committy-
A submisive girl who just lost her girlfriend who comes from a great and very accepting family meets this woman who constantly cheats on her partner and then cheats with her and then the submissive girl turns in to Sandy at the end of Grease only she's a bigger bitch and really smokes.

My opinion - Didn't like it.  The wife says it was alright.  

screeeeeeeeeeeecchhh ! STOP !
This is where I need you to really read and help a sista out.

1- We are planning a trip to the vineyards of California.  ** NO KIDS **   I repeat ** NO KIDS **
We have always wanted to do the wine tasting tours and learn and buy and drink.   Mostly drink.  but I need your help on planning it.   Is it better to do an actual wine tasting guided tour or to just go to the wineries ourselves and pay the individual wine tasting fee ?   Is there one you would recommend if the guided tour is the better choice ?

2- Has anyone used wild yam creams to help with progesterone levels ?
Since quitting the ring I'm back where I started with the PMDD.  only now it's 112 degrees outside, my kids are out of school and at home ALL OF THE FUCKING TIME,  and as many times as I've googled it I can't seem to find a sight that knows how to remove duct tape from a childs sensitive skin without causing noticeable damage.  sooooo, I thought I'd try something all natural to see if it has any effects on my PMDD.    (sigh)
If you can help me with even the tiniest bit of knowledge, I would appreciate it.   My family would appreciate it.  
If you know of something else that will help me overcome the ability to act like a snatchy little 6 year old when challenged as well, please leave it in my comments.   I've already tried, growing up, breathing, counting to 10 and walking away.    None of them seem to stop it.

It seems my crazy and someone is always screaming life isn't the reason that I turn in to a crazy bitch....it is always just a fleeting thought about duct taping them to a wall weeks 1-3, but that week 3....whoooo damn.....it seems to take on a "desire" of it's own.  (queue music : Pat Benatar's Hell is For Children song.....take time to really listen to the words.....absorb it's implications.....realize it's seriousness......feeling the need to comment....to save the children.....to save our dear blogger friend.....to save her wife, after all it is her birthday this week.   on week 3.  OF ALL WEEKS.  decide to leave a comment about how wild yam cream is the solution to all that ails you.  and will also stop the screaming inside and outside of my head...say it.....even if it's not true damn it...just humor me)

Thank you !

Taking my own advice to just chill the fuck out ! (now that advice has been taken, don't bother leaving it in my comments)

It worked at the time, but didn't seem to carry over nearly long enough.

My Big Fat Happy Family !

Big families are not for everyone.   But they are DEFINITELY for me.  
OH MY HELL the fighting and the noise levels in my house 24-7.   I am certain it can be heard from the local IFA just up the street.  (read with a country cowboy dialect....for no other reason than I like to talk with one)

BUT OH MY GOOTNESS....the love.

In my house, there is always someone to play with.    A playmate.   There's always someone to hold the other end of the rope.   and usually someone to jump.    or someone to tie up and drag.
There is always at least 1 mom, sometimes 2 dads and a couple of babies or dogs (depending on if when they crawl they cry or bark) to play house with.
You have a buddy to sit with on the rides at the amusement parks.   Someone to push you on the swing.  Someone to cheer you on and someone to laugh at you when you make funny faces.
If you want to stay up and be silly when it's time to go to bed, you have a partner in crime.
If you make someone cry, drop, spill or break something....you always have someone to blame it on.
You can play pretty much any board game as you will have plenty of other players.
Pick a sport, when sports become a factor, we will have us a full team with subs.

It really sunk in on our last trip to California just how much fun we have together as a family.   It's been so hard the last couple of years that as the kids are getting older, I can now stop and smell the roses.
They play so great with each other.    I feel completely blessed to have them.   (babies still suck ass.  for at least another 8 months or so :)  Blessed to have ALL of them.  and I wouldn't have it any other way.   Well, I mean if I had my choice I'd have them all within 8 years instead of 4 :)  spread that shit out. but no really.  I am so in love with my family that I thought I'd share.

Feelings and opinions expressed on this post may be altered and changed completely at any time.

 

Turmoil Tuesday !

Nathan.  STOP climbing on to my counters and knocking/pouring/spilling all of the shit on to my floor.   This does not exclude turning the faucet on and pulling the handle out giving you plenty of slack to spray water everywhere.
PLEASE !
(oh and look at his face.  HE'S pissed.  HE is.  because he's wet and sticky now.  Are you kidding me?)

I have a bungee cord around my kitchen chairs, because they would drag them to the counters and climb up.   I have to put both office chairs in Syd's room because she has a gate at her door, because they would wheel them to my counters and climb up.   Today they started sliding my end table to the counters to climb up and after at least 4-12 times of pulling them down and moving the table back (the table which was pushed over scratching up my already SCRATCHED TO CAT SHIT floors ! ugh)  

I suppose the only other thing to do was to get the cooler, that we didn't use to go to the the water park last week because CLEARLY there wasn't enough room for lunch and drinks in that small thing but it MUST be played with by the older three because, hey check it out...we can load this up with matchbox cars and pencil shavings...and fight over who gets to play with it....any ways...the cooler was then strategically placed up to the counter.  Unable to climb up but at least this way you can reach the bowl of mini wheats that you didn't finish for breakfast that had PLENTY-O time to disintegrate in the milk.   mm hmm.  

Making an even HARDER job to clean up.   Just so you know.   shredded soggy mini wheats roll and don't seem to come up very easily when on a smooth surface.  oh and milk will always find the deepest and darkest places to settle.  for instance under the dishwasher, in between the floor boards.  you know. the places you can't get to. 

Just sayin.

I'm so glad that I took this picture in the morning....because later you spilled a cup full of water all over the entry way.....you had 1/2 of the toilet water emptied in to the tub by the time I found you both AND you both took your sisters water bottle and dumped it over the crackers you BEH-EH-EGGED me for....making a nice mushy mess on the carpeted floors I just cleaned a few weeks ago.  Ok, I'm pretty sure that was mostly Ryan's doing...but the toilet thing was ALL you man.  

GIVE me a BREAK motha's.  shit.  Seriously, I honestly can't keep up to you guys.

I am full of these stories every damn day it's a series of events that has me crying in a corner of a room.  honestly.  and my house IS in fact child proofed. see above bungee cord story as reference point

I think the next step is to add barb wire to the counter tops and make you guys a play pen out of electrical fencing.

I've threatened duct tape so many times...but after trying to fix the dog door (that you broke trying to get in to the garage to add Sadie's food to her water, or escape if the garage door happen to be up) with super de duper all strength can hold a 300 pound man suspended 15 feet against a cement wall for several hours, tape....and watching you unravel it in a matter of a minute....I think I need something with a collar and a remote control or something that plugs in or requires batteries that can be attached directly to your central nervous system.

You 2 are NIGHT-of-MARES !

Oh and side note.  BABIES- PLEASE STOP REMOVING YOUR CLOTHING TO THEN REMOVE YOUR DIAPERS SO THAT YOU CAN RUN AROUND PEEING ON MY FLOOR.  and pooping, Nathan.  wait..Ryan you have too.  so.  BABIES.  And Nathan..when you do poop on my floor, please don't use your poop as a runway for your fisher price pull plane. 

Also.  stop playing with everyone's penis's when they are exposed.  Remember our family moto that has been sketched in to the bathroom mirror.  "We don't touch anyone's private parts....only our own" (at least until you are 33)

This ending my first of many blogs about, Why Twins Suck Ass !

It can also be filed away in, The Second Set is Worse Than the First !

  I needed to get this post out....to be completely honest, I have had SUCH a great week with my big boys that I have to say the first set ROCKS right now.  :)

Second set...you still suck ass...even if you're cute.  

Don't sit there and smile at me either.   It won't work.  mama got smart with the first set baby boys.  you are both in T-rubble. 

Happy FOURTH in July !!!!

Happy 4th Birthday boys.
For some reason my memory holds on to the time when you were both babies....much stronger than the other 3.   Maybe it was because it was so much harder and exhausting, there being 2 of you.  Maybe it was because you were so much different than your sister and each other.   Those tiny little bodies in sleep sacks.  I would pick you up like a bag of almonds and stack your bodies one on the other to feed you.   I cherish each and every one of those memories.   I hope to hold on to them with the last few brain cells left in my brain dead head.

Cameron.   You are the one who will take care of  your moms when we are old and weary.    You are so sweet and thoughtful.   You like to come sit by me, your hand touching my leg or arm or you will come sit on my lap.  and "I love you mama" falls so easily off of your lips.   You say it all of the time and I feel the meaning each time you say it.  
When I rock you because you have been mad or sad or just wanted to cuddle.....you will hold your hand up in the I Love You sign and ask me if I want to play.    You start talking with your hands to mine and we play puppets with only our hands. :)   You have SUCH an imagination.  You would and have played with a stick....a torn piece of paper.....a screw from your drill....and even a penny.   Talking and playing and making sound effects.   I smile every time you do it.   It never gets old and I love to listen to the conversations you come up with.

You are by far my most pickiest eater.   You won't eat vegetables (except corn...especially on the cob) but will eat the vegetables if I mix them up in a casserole. (which your brother won't so it causes problems when coming up with something to eat for dinner) 
You wouldn't fathom eating fruit.   Occasionally you'll eat apples and at one time I could get you to drink smoothies.   You've caught on that they are good for you and now leave it for the babies to drink.
You sit down when it's time to eat and get to it.   There is no messing around.   You shovel food in until your cheeks are STUFFED (it drives your sister absolutely CRAZY) and after you finish you then quietly climb down and pick up where you left off with your cars or whatever had your attention before I called you to the table.
You won't eat anything you aren't really familiar with.   Coaxing you to eat just one more bite to get something you REALLY REALLY want is pointless.   Your stubborness always seems to win.
Even candy you've never seen....out of the question.   You like KitKat's and Hershey's chocolate bars, oh and suckers.   But if offered licorice or even an orange tic tac...forget about it.
You don't like gummy anything.  vitamins, bears or worms.   and your favorite cereal is mini wheats and honey bunches of oats.    You don't like the sweeter cereals at all. 

You stick up for anyone who's down.  Especially Spencer.  unfortunately you usually defend him with physical violence :) ha ha  we'll need to work on that buddy.
A week or so ago Mommy J was sneaking out to go to the store sans kids.   You caught her and immediately begged to go.   She of course said yes and as she was buckling you in to your car seat you said, "Mommy J, we have to take Dencer, he's my friend"  
You knew that Spencer too would love to go in the truck and Mommy J would never say no to such a brotherly love request.    Needless to say you were both a pain in her ass the whole time she shopped and she wished she didn't take either one of you :) ha ha
You have a big mouth on you when you are mad :)  I hate you...you're stupid and you're an idiot are still phrases we are trying to phase out.
But your considerate heart makes me want to eat you up.  You make me laugh every day. and every day you reassure me that you, one day, will be the kind, gentle and sweet man that I dream of you to be.    I love you Cameron....from your head to your toes.

Spencer. My good morning hug.   I count on it every morning.   I wake up to you crawling on my bed and laying either right on top of me, resting your head on my chest or curling up next to me with your head on my shoulder.   And always with a great big happy smile.   I will ask you how you slept and after telling me good you softly ask for breakfast :) You still are my best sleeper...down with no problems....sleep through the night without a sound and wake up happy as a lark.   

You want to be grown already.  Big and strong.   You will flex your muscles and say, "mom, look at my muscles, they are stupee (super) strong huh ?"  you also just take off running in any direction in the house as fast as your little legs can take you and request that I watch you.   Once finished you ask, "that was stupee fast huh mom ?  I am so fast"  and before I can answer you, you're off again.
You tell me all of the time how you are going to be bigger than me one day.   Taller than I am. 
You have decided to be a tough guy and put up your dukes to be funny, play or to fight.   Nathan knows at 1 year of age to punch because you taught him how.  ugh  poor Ryan gets the brunt of it.  :-)
Although a tiny bit shorter and skinnier than your brother....you usually come out on top in a wrestling match.
Sometimes when you get hurt you'll tell me, "I didn't cry.  I'm brave mom"

You and Cameron are very sensitive and I rarely need to pull out my angriest eyes with either of you.  and if I do get mad, once your time out is over you will both come and tell me that I hurt your feelings.  :)
It always softens my heart and I apologize...even though I make sure to remind you why you were put in time out in the first place.

My candy kid.   If it has sugar in it, you'll eat it.  a LOT of it.   You love you some sugar.
You are starting to eat a little more and have tried new things.  1/2 of which you've continued eating and the other 1/2 you spit in the sink.   but that you try it is what amazes me.   For a kid who hates his fruits and vegetables you are getting better.
You are the one who I can count on eating "3 bites of chicken" in order to get dessert or go outside or have a drink.   You hardly gripe about it and just surrender....eating the 3 bites and then happily running off to enjoy your reward.  

Those big brown eyes melt my heart buddy.  add a smile and I'm yours.   
In fact, you pull out the eyes on your brother and sister too.   and like me...it works, you usually get your way.  :) 
You are always aware of your baby brothers.  You pull them out of harms way a lot.  Just like a good big brother you teach them and although sometimes it may be a little louder and rougher than I'd like....you are helping them grow up to be careful and safe.  
You are such a sweet and wonderful kid.   I love every bone in your body buddy. 

You and Cameron are like Peanut Butter and Jelly.   You are the best of friends and play together so well.   You take care of each other, praise each other and will most of the time share and work things out without my getting involved.   When we have gone on our long trips the one who sits up front holds a DVD player on his lap to watch movies on.   Whoever is holding it will occassionally hold it up as high as your arms can stretch and yell to the other one sitting in the back, "Cam can you see it ?"  or  "Spencer look, it's the Incredibles" 
You can fight too, but overall you get along great.    My wish is that you remain good friends and that you continue the closeness that you share right now.
My great big boys.  Happy Birthday !

Wanna see a sneakity peakity ! (which is just a super excited sneak peak)

The best and MOST wonderful and also famous (she was on TV :) photographer, sent me a couple of our pictures from California.
I can't wait to see the rest.   She hates taking pictures of my kids (she said so herself).   They are very uncooperative....but seriously...she does such a good job with not much to work with that she'll have to be the one to take ALLL of our family pictures ! ;-)
Thank you Liz.  Love you girl.

Sydney fell into the ocean RIGHT in the middle of the photoshoot. (she was screwing off and playing when we told her not to)   She started crying and immediately wanted her wet clothes off and dry ones on and of COURSE wanted to go home.

We pleaded with her.  Begged her to just let us take a few more pictures.   She refused.   Liz's husband Glenn walked ALLLLL the way back to the van for towels and we wrapped her up (it was pretty cold and windy that early in the morning).    After some sweet one on one talk from Liz she was able to catch this picture.  although biased as hell, I think she is GORGEOUS and this is probably one of the best pictures that we got that day.  

Thanks to both Liz and Glenn for making it happen.

ooooh, I just love my wife.  love her love her love her.

What I think this picture says, Wednesday !

"HORTON, turn on the air conditioner you fucker"

"What ?"

"hmmm, so I think I'll start with the fishy crackers and then try some of that potato salad"

"cheese" oh, now, ok "cheese" yes, the button on the top, ok again, "cheese"

"I got a little something right above my eye ? sand ? where ?"

"WATER"

"I LOVE the OCEAN"

"I love the ocean when I hold on like this"

"or....when Mommy J holds me like this"

"on your mark, get set....."

"aaaaaaah"

I have so many pictures of her like this.  She just LOVES the ocean.  not the sand.  the ocean.

I just love her.

simply titled....Looks can be deceiving !

Well hello there !

1/2 empty or 1/2 full.
We didn't have internet access until the last 2 days of our trip.  which happened to be our busiest days...we spent exactly NO time at our house.  
The only extremely slow service I was able to get was on J's phone and then, her phone broke a few days in to the trip.
I suppose it's easy to see both the good and bad in that.

What isn't so hard to catagorize....
Ocean - good
Sand - bad
Hooking up with friends from Utah - good
The heat at the San Diego Wild Animal Park - bad
Meeting a blogger friend - good
Cameron nearly drowning not once but twice at her pool - bad
Wedding reception WITH babysitter - good
Open bar, no alcohol - bad
Super awesome photographer and friend meeting us at the beach - GOOD
Trying to get the kids to look at awesome photographer and friend - bad
Knowing she can do magic - good
7 people in a 4 person hotel room - bad
The hotel swimming pool - good
Nathan pooping in said pool - bad...REALLY REALLY BAD !
St George Pizza and Pasta - good
Weight gain - bad
Coming home - bad

Getting home - good

I have so much laundry to do and bags to unpack....which in itself seems pretty doable.   That's IF Ryan wouldn't fill buckets of sand from the sand box and drag it through my house leaving large piles all over and then kick and brush and dance in the piles to further spread them out.  And if Nathan wouldn't dump out the basket of shoes to use it to climb up on my counters, so that he can pour the big boys breakfast milk all over the counters down my cupboards and onto my floors. 
ya, that would help.

We're home.   It was a WONDERFUL trip.
I was able to read almost everyone's blogs.    Congratulations to all of the recent positives.   Bless you to all of the expecting multiple's.    Good luck to those still trying.   Lots of safe traveling to those of you out on the roads and much love to those of you needing some right now.

What can you expect to hear from me soon.  
- Big families ROCK !
- My wife ROCKS even more !
- I love Marguerite
- Twins suck ass
- The second set is worse than the first set
- How to tape up wallpaper that has been ripped from the wall of a rented house as to not draw attention to it
- How to make smoothies with alcohol so that nobody knows.

I know.  you can't wait right ?! :-)


I leave you now with pictures of the house we rented.   Super nice to have a house.   Perfectly located. 
Damage - wallpaper peelage in the lower level bathroom (taped)
              - broken empty flower pot on patio (put in the garbage, nobody will ever know)
              - clasp on a decorative box sitting on my nightstand (put back together)
              - screen door leading to patio (put back on it's sliders)
Not too shabby for a week with 2 nearly 2 year olds who have to touch everything and 2 nearly 4 year olds who have to fight over everything that they touch.
              

Dining room table seats 8

The kids bedrooms were decorated so cute.

The kids each got a new toy to play with.  They all happened to be dart guns :) nice 

Master bath with mirrored closets before they were covered with little tiny handprints

Nate.  my little party pooper !