Mowing, Bugs, and Tennis Shoes

The kids and I were in the backyard yesterday.  If you have been to our house, you know we don't have a very big backyard.  Nonetheless, we do have a nice patch of green grass in our Arizona rock yard.  It's fenced in, so I appreciate it keeps my kids in and most varments out.  Plus, the Army is nice enough to have great parks all over the post (including directly behind our backyard).

Anyways, I was mowing the grass.  Usually here, Edward mows the grass.  No reason.  I really like mowing, but I'm usually taking care of the little people in my life.  Even though Edward is gone, the grass still needs cut!  Here's the conversation:

Me:  "Let's go outside guys.  Mommy is going to mow the grass, and you can all play and watch."

Madison:  "Mommy, do you know how to mow?"

Me:  "Yes, Madison, I do.  I used to mow a lot when I was a kid."

Madison:  "Well, Daddy always cuts the grass.  Are your sure?"  (Not remembering I cut the grass A LOT when we lived in North Carolina).

Me:  "Yes, Madison.  I promise I know how to cut the grass."

She was totally awed when I 1) knew what the lawn mower was, 2) was able to get it started on the first try, and 3) that the mower DID actually cut the grass as I predicted I could with it.


On the same topic...I tell ya, it was a funny evening...

I had stopped mowing for a few minutes to readjust the picnic table.  The kids were talking my ear off, no shock, when all of a sudden, Luke yelled, "Mommy, it's a BIG BUG!" 

Now, hearing either Madison or Luke yell a big bug is no surprise.  The think everything is a big bug.  I kind of started to shrug it off, and as I glanced down, I saw a hornet on my leg!  I brushed it off quickly.  It didn't sting me, but it left a little mark. When I told Edward he told me to put a cream on it we have, and I reminded him that wasn't a good idea while the kids were still awake.  Any cream/band aid on me would require hours of explaining and rehashing, so I opted to just deal with it.  Ahh, the things for kids.

Thanks, buddy!  Glad I didn't get stung.

And, more of the story...

As I was still working in the yard, Luke kept asking me if I was going running.  I put on my tennis shoes to cut the grass, and he was freaked out by this for some reason. Tennis shoes = running and only running.  He just couldn't get off the idea I wasn't going for a run.  I came inside after I finished to put dinner on, and even then, he asked if I was going to run on the treadmill.  Quickly, the shoes came off!  I couldn't let him go on and on and on about the shoes.  Ahhh!

My parents are flying in to San Diego today...good thing, as you can see I need some normal, adult conversation!

Playtime

Alex is getting more and more independant each day.  He enjoys spending time in his room, playing with his toys.

He's a HUGE fan of the barn.

Madison's Birthday Surprise

'Tis the season...of birthdays at our house!

Madison's birthday is in two weeks, but we gave her a birthday surprise on Sunday.  No, it's not that we couldn't wait. Edward is leaving in the morning for two weeks, i.e., he gets home the night of her birthday, so we both wanted to see her with her new present.

Thrilled.  She almost didn't know what to say.

I think she likes it.  It's perfect for her...a Schwinn pink and purple bike.

At the store, I thought, "That looks huge for her...there's no way she'll fit on an 18-inch bike."  Ummm, she fits on it just fine.

She's sporting a new bike helmet, as she LOST her old one.  How do you lose a bike helmet?  She did.  She LOVES her new bike and flies around on it.  She was looking rather silly on her little Dora bike and had totally outgrown it.  Right away, sweet Madison said, "We can give my Dora bike to Kate!"  Wow, what a great idea  :)  That plan was set in motion a long time ago when we stored the new bike at Kate's house (because I bought the bike about a month or so ago when it was on sale!) and joked we'd do an exchange-the new bike for the Dora bike  :)

The Birthday Babies

When Alex was born last May, I went to the hospital knowing my friend Amy was already there.  Amy and I had the same due dates.  We became friends when Amy contacted me about MOPS before she moved to Yuma last April.  In our emails prior to her move, we discovered our due dates and that her husband, like mine, was a military doc...he's a Navy doc and works at the Marine Base.  We ended up with the same OB, and we kept joking with him that we'd have our babies on the same day...yeah right, like we get to decide that.  Well, our due dates weren't until toward the end of JUNE.  Amy had a scheduled induction at 37 weeks even, and our doctor again, said yeah right, you WON'T have your babies on the same day.   Enter Martha and Alex...we didn't get along during pregnancy, and remember, I have my kids two to three weeks early, and it was my third baby. 

On the night of May 29, after a very sick me was finally admitted for hypertension, Edward went to find and meet Amy and her husband.  We formed a strong bond when our babies WERE born the same day, May 30, exactly 12 hours to the minute apart.  Alex is the older one, 11:45 AM; Katie was born at 11:45 PM via emergency c-section.  We shared our OB, delivery nurse, and even recovery nurse.  Amy's husband came in to take pictures of Alex after he was born.  We were in rooms next to each other.  With Alex's problems, you would have thought he'd end up in the NICU, but no Katie did. 

Weights- Alex 5 lbs. 8 oz. and Katie 9 lbs. 8 oz.

Enter Jillian and Bruce...

Amy, in walking the floors trying to get her contractions moving, ran into another friend who was to deliver after us in June.  She told me, "Wouldn't it be funny if we all had our babies the same day?" 

Bruce was born just a few minutes (seven, I believe) before Katie. 

So, Alex is the oldest, then Bruce, followed by Katie

Our Birthday Babies!!!

We got together for dinner Sunday evening at our house.  We were going to meet at Amy's, but it's not a good thing when your A/C goes out in Yuma!

Bruce, Katie, and Alex

Alex is the only one walking so far.

Here they were at six weeks (with another little friend on the far right).

And, here they are now.  Alex, the smallest at birth, is the biggest now.

Katie has the most teeth with eight.  Alex has seven, and Bruce has six.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABIES!  You will all share this cool bond, and I hope you have years and  years of wonderful birthdays!

One Good Reason to Live on the Border...

Pure Mexican Vanilla

A big thanks to our friend, Al, who brought this back from Mexico.  I have a huge liter bottle of vanilla, and I just emptied it!  I have used a lot of vanilla lately.  We knew that Al went to Mexico often to visit his mom, so we asked him to get us more vanilla.  We're stocked for awhile now.  It's definitely not advised to go across the border around here, so we're glad we had a connection!

Back to the cooking...

We're Back!

Welcome to our new blog!  We've been blogging since 2005, and this is now our third blog.  Here's the one we just left behind in case you want to check it out again:  http://www.keepingupwiththejoneskids.blogspot.com/

Enjoy the blog!  Leave us a note sometime.  We always wonder who really reads about our adventures.