happenings

We have two days left of Josh's vacation.  He goes back to work Tuesday.  I am fairly certain that Wyatt and I will spend a large majority of Tuesday crying together on the rug by the front door.

 Tonight we are doing homemade pizza, popcorn & treats for Family Movie Night.

 Tomorrow we plan to make tortillas, bread and homemade maples bars.  (We are looking forward to those!)  Monday Josh will be helping bring the masses back to Marshall. I am imagining multiple airport runs to collect the teachers and their families.  Then, as I said, Tuesday, it's back to reality.

So I wanted to take advantage of the last few days at home and get some blogging under my belt. The best way to cover everything and use up all the pictures I have was to do a "happenings" post.  Little bits of this and that.

As sad as I am for break to end, I am also excited to get back to our routine. I am excited to make our weekly meal menu, as well as plan preschool for the boys. We are up to letter S and the twins can't wait (!) to learn to write S because it "looks like a snake, mom!"

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I have been thinking lately about how different the twins are.  I mean, they have many similarities, and a lot of gestures that are identical, but their personalities, really, are quite unique.

For instance, Jack will eat anything, loves to help no matter the chore, and is very patient with Wyatt.  He loves sweets and pears and gets sad before he gets mad.

Whereas Logan is a super picky eater (Last week he told me that eating cooked carrots made him "shiver") he complains when he has to help, unless it's scrubbing the toilet or vaccuming, and then he's happy to pitch in -go figure-, and is very impatient with Wyatt.  He loves baby oranges and is insanely claustrophobic.  He hates having his face covered with his scarf, and loves to wrestle, but hates if anyone pins his arms or legs down.  He goes from perfectly fine to raging in 3 seconds flat, and will stomp.all.the.way.up.the.stairs to timeout when he is in trouble.

One example of Logan being more picky than Jack was with the Hello Dolly's I made over Christmas break. {sidenote: they were amazing!}  Logan tried one speck of a taste and concluded he didn't like them, whereas Jack asked me morning, noon and night if he could please have more "hello dotties".

I have also been thinking a lot about my singleton vs. twin experiences.  The twins loved everyone around them. Both grandma's; their aunts; their papa's; and Josh.  Wyatt pretty much loved only me until we got back to Marshall in August.  Then he fell.in.love. Baby boy fell hard.  He adores his daddy now.

When we got to here at the start of the school year he would SCREAM in his high chair while waiting for his food.  Slowly we taught him to say, "Mommy... More please."

What we taught him stuck, and he would say "Mommy," when he wanted to eat, no matter who was feeding him.  This lasted for months. Now he says "Daddy" instead, and it breaks my heart a little bit. He is just such a daddy's boy.  I went back and read Logan & Jack's 18 month post and discovered Jack went through the same phase, so that has lessened the blow.

But I am telling you, that baby waaants daddy when he's at work or sleeping.  It is heartbreaking.  Josh can't run upstairs or go to the bathroom without a full-on tantrum from Super Wy.

The one time of day he wants me over Josh is at bedtime cause I sing and rock him longer.

Smarty pants.

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Last week the twins were playing with their jump ropes, tying things up and who knows what, when all of a sudden from the playroom came this horrible wailing.  Josh flew in there to find Jack with a humongous welt on his arm and Logan defending his actions, claiming Jack hit him first.  The welt was unbelievable.  We sent Logan to his room, and when he came back downstairs, both boys had to throw their respective jump ropes into the garbage.  That kind of angry violence is just not acceptable.  So we wanted to make a strong point.

Fast forward like ten days and Jack asks me, out of nowhere, "Mom, are there ropes at the dump?"

"Maybe," I answered, not knowing what he was talking about.

"Can we go get them?"

"No, honey. The dump is gross."

"No, mom. Our jump ropes. Are our jump ropes at the dump? I think we can go get them."

I had to explain that we do take our garbage to the dump, or the workers do after Josh takes it to the school, but once it's there, it's burned.  So his jump ropes are long gone.  It was one of those things where I thought, I don't think he'd know what the dump even was if we were in town.  But because he's taken trash out with Josh, driven by the dump, smelled it burning... he knew that was where our trash (and his old toys) were.

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Right now, we are really working on listening. The first time. And listening even if I am talking to your brother, and not you.  

For instance, this afternoon we got a lot of Amazon boxes, and they tend to come with lots of those air bubble things.  The boys LOVE to pop them (the HUGE ones) and they are super loud. So they are only allowed to do it in the playroom. Logan popped one once, and I reprimanded him. Then he stepped on one, on accident, and I reprimanded him again. Then Jack came flying across the room, landing on one, with the biggest, naughty grin on his face. 

Oh! I was so mad! I sent him straight to his room. When I went up after his timer beeped, he knew instantly why he was in trouble. So I know being consistent is paying off. I just wish it wasn't so much work!

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At bedtime the twins each say their prayers. Generally they thank God for their cozy house, for keeping them safe and for something cool they got to do that day.  Then Logan always says what he wishes for. Like a new robot toy, or to play outside, or that I wouldn't eat all the leftover waffles. He cracks me up!

I think encouraging these bedtime prayers has shown them how to be grateful for the little things.  A good movie, a fun game, or (as Logan pointed out to me today) that Walmart sent us our favorite White Shell noodles!!!

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I measured the boys recently on the tape measure I have in their playroom, and they have each grown over two inches since May! How is that possible!?!  They are getting so big!

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Something we've been doing since we got here, is letting the boys (for the most part) dress themselves everyday.  Occasionally we dress them warmer, which they hate, or dictate because of an occasion.  Otherwise, they are on their own.  Sometimes they have the desire to dress alike,  and sometimes they want to be different. When they are going to the school, they like to dress different so people can tell them apart more easily.  I think that's really smart. Even though they try to look different with their clothes, they are still very kind when people confuse them. They tell them, sometimes over and over, "I'm Logan. That's Jack." Or vice versa. I am enjoying this stage where it doesn't bother them. {and hoping it will last!}

They are also into borrowing clothes like t-shirts or socks from each other and are careful to always ask first.  They also share their bubbas (stuffed animals) and that is especially heartwarming.

A few times they have asked to trade other things, but I draw the line at toothbrushes!

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When we were on our Adventure in the Woods the other day, and we kept sinking in the deep, deep snow, Jack said, "Mom, I need some of those ice skates. You know..."  

I said, "Snow shoes? So you can walk on top of the snow?" 

"Yeah, those kind! We should get those!"

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I had to include this picture of one of the work trucks by our house.

ALASKA: The last frontier!

Some days I feel like I am just another stay-at-home mom, surviving another stay-at-home mom existence. Other days I feel and see very clearly just where I am and what a crazy life I'm living.

It's fun to be reminded of this journey I am on.

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Ever since we came back to Marshall after the summer in Washington, visiting family, the boys love to talk about the "dates" they went on with my mom and sister.  They talk about the movies they saw, the pool they swam in, who they met at Papa's work, and what they ate at "Old McDonald's".

Lately they love to tell me that when Nanny & Papa (my parents) took them to see Cars 2 in the theater (you should hear Logan say theater. It sounds like "thee-du-der", but with extra consonants. So cute!) They tell me that my mom bought them soda!  They are not allowed to have soda, at all, ever, and so this gets a (pretend) rise out of me, and sends them into a fit of giggles.  Then Logan, who can never get enough, tells me when that soda was gone, she got them another one. And another one. And ten sodas!  And he can hardly talk he is laughing so hard. I love it!

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Sooo... Both boys can write their names. And Jack can write "Poop".

I have no one to blame but myself.

Here's the story:

He had been practicing writing capital letter R's. So he had written, like, ten R's. Then I asked him to write his name on his paper. So he started, but it came out with a P shape when he realized he should be making a J, not an R. He stopped and looked at me. I said, that's alright. Try again. So he started being silly and wrote two O's after it.  He said, "What does that say?" (something they ask all.the.time) so I said, "Well, that says, "Poo", but if you add another P it will say Poop."  Oh, the giggles. 

So he wrote Poop. Then he wrote Jack.

So all day Logan and I called him PoopJack and he would crack up.

This was before Christmas break. So two days ago, Logan was making a card for his cousin Ethan, and he takes it over to Jack and asks (independent of me) "Jack? Can you write poop on here for me? I think it will make Ethan crack up!"

And so Jack did.

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At dinner I said something about the word partner, and the twins both laughed that daddy wasn't my partner.  I told them Daddy was my partner, and someday they would get married and have their own partners.

Jack said, "We won't get married."

Logan said, "Boys don't get married, Mommy!"

Jack said "Because girls are gross"

Logan said, "I will scare her away with the bugs in my pocket."

Then Jack said, "We will be each others' partner."

I find it amazing that he can't imagine a life without Logan as his sidekick.

That well into his future he envisions Logan by his side.

I hope that it is forever true.

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Wyatt has the best manners of any one year old I have ever met.  For a while now he has been saying "Please", "Thank you" & "You're welcome", but last night while I was carrying him on my hip, closing the curtains in my room, he burped and then he goes, with his tiny adorable lisp, "Excuse me," which sounded more like "Sthuse me." I died. It was so cute.

He has also recently learned to say "Nigh-night"and when he says it, he also signs "sleep", which I love!

We read him this animal book that we loathe, but he loves, and it has a butterfly in it, and I realized yesterday that he can say butterfly.  It sounds like "bi-eye", and is so precious!

I have been trying for months to get him to say "I love you" to Josh or myself, but he refuses.  Last night, he said "I love you" to David in his book.  I see how we rate!

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The other night after dinner I cleaned Logan's  glasses for him, then when I walked back to the table, I was talking to Josh, not paying attention, and I started to put them on Wyatt on accident. Logan thought it was hilarious and so I took a picture of Wyatt wearing them. I think he looks so stinking cute!

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Josh and I recently decided to let the twins play on our devices. They play Angry Birds and an array of educational games Josh downloaded that work on color, number and letter recognition. They use my new Tablet and Josh's ipod.  They are allowed to play during Wyatt's nap only, and must take turns to keep their privilege.  They love playing on them so much!

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The other night at dinner Jack told me that termites have a "college". (aka colony) The conversation went from there to talking about the queen termite and how she has a million babies in her belly that she gives the workers to take to their beds.  They learned all this, apparently, from Wild Kratts. I cannot believe what little sponges they are!

Then, after the termite conversation, Logan said he has bad dreams at night about bugs.  It made me so sad!

{sidenote: my ProActiv order came, and I've already ruined one of my good towels...  Darn benzoyl peroxide! This had better be worth it. Clear skin, here I come!!!}

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One of my favorite meals to make here is chili.  I use about two pounds of moose meat (from the moose my husband killed-- how cool is that?!?), an onion, a chili packet, a can of kidney beans, a can of pinto beans, two cans of canned tomatoes, throwing it all in the crockpot.  While that's doing its thing, I throw together the ingredients for homemade corn bread (from my Betty Crocker cookbook) and twenty minutes later we have a delicious meal.  We got cheese with our Span Alaska order, so we always have cheese... But having sour cream this week was a real treat.

I think I love making chili and cornbread because it reminds me of pioneer times, making a soup/stew/chili meal with delicious bread for a side...

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Today Josh ran to the post office hoping for boxes, and to the co-op hoping for eggs & carrots.  We were one for two.  He got boxes. And boxes. And boxes.  All of our Walmart order came. (I plan to do an entire post on how I order groceries. It's insanity, and I hate it.) 

In addition to my Walmart Bush order, I also ordered some things on Amazon. I think of Amazon as my Costco. If I need a lot of something (creamer, toilet paper, Cheerios) I order through Amazon. If I only need one (a box of Minute rice, Salad dressing, Vanilla) I order through Walmart.

I have never in my life been as thankful for groceries as I am here in Alaska.

When I can order something that's exactly what I want, I am so happy.
When I can find something I need, when I need it, at the co-op, I am so happy.
When I place an order, and six days later it's on my doorstep, I am so happy!

I am grateful for Alaska because it teaches me to be grateful.

I literally opened this package of coffee creamers, took one out, and hugged it.
Hugged it.

This is serious, people.

As I was putting away all the groceries, which is also known as reorganizing the entire pantry, I talked to my grandparents. First I talked to Grandma, and she said I sounded so chipper and cheerful. That's how I felt. When my pantry is full, and I know I can feed my kids food they will happily eat, I am a content mama.  Nothing feels so good as to see that I have enough to provide wonderful, nutritious, home baked meals for them.  It just puts a smile on my face!  And when I talked to Grandpa he agreed that it really is the little things.

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And lastly, I started a new journal today.  I am super excited to about it. It is my 89th journal, and I hope to write *something* in it everyday, but I did not make it an official resolution because some days it's just too much effort. Plus I also have a prayer journal, and this blog, plus my blessings blog, which are all opportunities for me to write.  

I especially love that the journal is pink, and I just happen to have a pink Bic Atlantis pen (which also happens to be the best pen ever made)... so for a while (till the pen runs out of pink ink) I will be color coordinated, and that will be so cool. 

Or it will be really dorky.

But I don't care, 

cause it makes me happy!!!