Who's who?

Xianfern thinks she's so smart because she can always tell my boys apart (I can NEVER tell who's who with her girls.) Here's a little test for her, although I've kept it pretty simple by only including pictures of the boys together. Good luck (though I don't think she'll need it. What I also did to keep it simple was give birth to a very non identical looking set of twins! :)

Happy 4th Birthday

My little miss is 4 years old today! When the hell did that happen? She's 4 years old and I'm 4 years older. I feel too old to have kids so little but they keep me young, if there's any logic in that.
She's 4 and like most 4 year olds, she's entertaining herself in the dining room with scotch tape- so far the best birthday present- her very own roll of scotch tape, actually 4 rolls for the 4 year old! Now she doesn't have to beg to use ours..

Even though this day is about her, I can't forget to mention her little brothers- they are 16 months old today. They are such good boys, but boy are they busy. I don't know if it's because there are 2 of them or if it's because they're boys, but they have energy that is endless. I wish they could give their poor mom some :). Any-hoo, here are my boys at 16 months...

Poor V-man- when he woke up this morning and decided to do some sort of acrobat in his crib that gave him this little shiner.

F-man likes to walk around with stuff in his mouth. I think that's the dog's influence.

Renovations New Years style

She would only help if she could pick out her own work clothes. I guess they don't call them sweat shops for nothing.

Holiday hangover

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's feeling like they got hit by a mack truck filled with toys that require the jaws of life to open nor do I feel like I'm the only one who's glad it's over. For this year anyway. Next year I'm going to be more prepared. I'm going to start Christmas shopping in July. Or do it all on line, months in advance.

My little miss is getting so big and so smart. I don't think I'll use Santa as a bargaining chip anymore (you know the whole Santa is watching and only brings presents for good little girls) because I think it kind of back fired. After opening her Christmas stocking I told her that Santa must have thought she was a good little girl. She agreed and said "see mom, I was right, you were wrong." Ouch.

Here are some pics from Xmas 2008...

Happy Holidays

My little miss is so excited for the holidays. It could have a lot to do with the fact that we're traveling down to Long Island to spend it with Grandma and Grandpa. It could also have something to do with the fact that she's wanted EVERY toy she's seen on tv in the last 4 months and to acknowledge her "need" I've told her to add it to her Christmas list. I hope she's not disappointed when she doesn't find the life size stuffed golden retriever under the tree.

Anyway, here's a couple of Christmas pics of my little ones. Like always, I was the only excited about taking their picture. They did great despite this...

Here, xianferns youngest (?) daughter wanted to be a part of our Christmas card. It was tough breaking it to her. She didn't take it very well.

She did eventually get over it... And we got these great pictures of the girl cousins to remember this holiday. Have I ever mentioned how excited I am that these girls are growing up together. I hope they always love eachother the way they do right now (with less hitting and yelling, though :)

My little tough guy

I love this picture- can't you just hear him doing his best Robert Dinero impression...

Happy Halloween

In true NH fashion, trick or treating was tonight and depending on which town you live in, it's also tomorrow night and probably one night this weekend. My little miss had a blast with her cousins. Tomorrow night we go with the people on our street. No one but the neighborhood kids go trick or treating on our road because it's dirt and pretty deserted. Very halloween like if you ask me, but not at all inviting to those who don't live here. Here are some pics of my Cinderella!

My little miss and blogless' youngest daughter- beautiful Cinderella prinesses!
Here are all the trick or treaters. Xian fern is quite the seamstress- she made a bat suit, a ghost costume and she hemmed little miss' Cinderella dress!
The 3 princesses!!

For those of you wondering...

Home renovations suck. I wouldn't recommend it and I won't do it. ever. again. My husband has been doing most of the work but that leaves me to do the other stuff which is sometimes just as labor intensive. Here are a couple pictures of what my husband has been up to...

Those cabinets on the counter will eventually be hung on the walls. And the countertops will get a coat of tung oil and some sort of wax. And that wire hanging down will either be disconnected or used to hang laundry- we haven't decided which..

Mother's little helper

No, I don't mean what the Rolling Stones sang about a hundred years ago, which I think was a pill, not to say that that wouldn't be helpful but that's not what I'm referring to. I'm referring to my neighbor's kid who is at this very moment entertaining my 3 year old. outside. out of my hair. My little miss is enjoying bossing around this sweet 10 year old who takes it totally in stride. What's better is the babies are sleeping and my dear husband is building our kitchen. Fanf*ckingtastic!

Not so high chairs

Well, today was a great day. The weather cooperated so we got outside for a bit and everyone was in really good moods- even me! We took a long walk down our dirt road and collected leaves. We're going to make a leaf chicken later (thank-you noggin). I cleaned up the house a bit. One project was to get these feeding chairs ready to bring to xianferns tomorrow. The boys have transitioned from their infant carriers to regular car seats. We gave my mil our infant carrier for the upcoming arrival of grandbaby #4, so xianfern gets these since she used the infant carriers to give them lunch, keep them contained, whatever. I didn't know I had 2 matching feeding chairs. My husband has been collecting them from the dump, I mean swap shop, for the last couple of years. It was quite a project and apparently mold stains don't come out, hence the word stain in the description (you'll see what I mean tomorrow xian). Anyway, nothing but the best hand me down, dump finds for my kids.

Here they are fresh from their afternoon nap enjoying some milk- which by the way is formula, but not for much longer- cow's milk here we come!! :)

Can you see their big sister in the background, on the couch? She's become rather fond of standing on her head.

I love my kids...

More than anything. But what a looonnngggg weekend. I have tomorrow off (from work- the work I get paid for) and while I'm looking forward to it, I'm also wondering why I thought a 4 day weekend combined with a 5 hour road trip would be a good idea- or more like why I thought having Monday off would help me recuperate. Haven't I learned by now that if I want to rest and relax that I should go to work? Whatever. It will be a good day. I haven't seen the weather but I'm hoping to be able to take everyone outside so cabin fever won't get the best of us. Anyway, here are a couple pictures of my sweet, well rested children prior to taking them on a road trip to visit their grandparents. Followed by what happens when they don't sleep in their own beds for 2 nights and when the oldest goes to bed at 9:30 only to wake up before the dawn wanting to play with grandma...